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Show I I I BYU Inquisition I by Robert I. McQueen1 I church records and assumed the o fficer knew. He had been nbt !Tiu, JO/lowing story illuslr~tes tht tactics tmploytd by Bn'gham Young Univ,rsity in its oh-going Pf'ORram 10 tliminotf! hdmo.ux• uuls from iu campus. The-lstory is rrconstrucud from inttrviJws With seven studntts who were vitrims of BYU witch hunts during ht last two yrarJ. Tht questions a ktd] by th, Campus S,curiry O.lfiftr and tlrt' manner in which ht Cf>.nducts tlrt i?trn"ogation wtrt sfmil4rly descnbtd by each of tht Only ont of tht student int,rviewed responded in tht an tr dtscribtd in this story~ Th 01 t rs succumbed to tht intim dot/on. cor,frsstd thty wtrt gay nd., in ' four instances. vo/unture names o{othtrf?ayp,Nons.J sfudt~ts. 1 I ' "I've goJ to talk to you bo11 a. very touchy subject': • the amtus security officer began,, afte Us ering David into what loo nd felt like an interrogatio r ~ m. "Your name has been turn din as a.suspected homosexual. ··As you know," the offi I r ! 1n• tinued, "homosexuality is an le- , 1 01cnt we wish to climina c .f m the BYU campus. It's my pt to find out if these charges aga nst you arc true and. if they tC', usl how deeply you're in'<Olve in. his kind o f thing." David wondered how m officer al ready knew: whic :"lof his friends had been interview . nd what they had said. "Arc these charges tr u ?" he officer asked. "Arc you a ac ive homosexual?" t David hesitated. Th j y an ago, when h~ was being in cl'Yi • cd for a Mormon m · j· rf usignment, he had admi . in1 a homose1:uat 'experic wu sure that wu still a I allowed to Co on a mission, but managed. by promising th repent and to refrtin from anY.j funher sexual actlv ty. to get accepted to Brigham Yo ng Univcrsit)'. ''I'm not ~urc," David j ans wer • ed. "A lorlg i imc ago J had an upcricncc, but I consider that p•rt of my past." 1 "Have yoJ had any cxtricnces while you'v~becn a 'studc t at the 'Y'?" the, 1cer asked. "We've been led to licvc you h vc been 1 having u~ricnces. I ant to know if that ls true." "How haJc you been I to believe that?" David asked. I "Your name has been given to USj by 5C'VerJpersons with similar problems," the, officer neplicd. "They've jn icatcd you're a prac• tiding horn xual. They think you r ndcd help/; ..Theie s gave us your name because they sincerely bclie\-td you wJnted and needed hel'p:· 1hc officer statc<J in a fatherly 1one. "they fi n'allf recognized the evils ofi homoscx~ality and 1h~y know.· thb only w'\Y to overcon,e it is thfough applopriatx: counseling. al~o h~c a sworn sfatcmcnt from o ne pt"f5on t~at ht: has had repeated s<:xu.al re(ations with you /"1 cwjedredt.he p~ a sr ye•:-" 1he o fficer " Wo uld o u md telling mt: w o made t at u'Jement?" David 1 ..ked. ' Tm sorry;, but that information ~~fonfidcntial. as is this interview.· . W.;e do thatJ for your own pro'tec• t n. Now, ou haven't answered m q uestion! Att you pamcipat• in1 in hom • xual activities 1·· I t"' won't flrvid b lurt \ swer that question," ou_t. "You'ltry!nc I ""'" "'•"' - ,,.,, l I to,. · I·"Haven' your offi rsichecked I · e to that out tocf-" David uked. , The officer bolled upland left ' the room. David wondered if this interview was being recorded. Jt was rumored on campus that Sc• curity !"IS using electronic devices to cavHdrop on students. In a rcw minutes tl'le officer returned. He looked calm and fathcrlv on('f' ,~;1in. "You must know just how serious this situation is, 1' he began. "When y,hJ c:111c1cJ t3YU, you.had a reeommcnd from your Bishop. This recommend was ·granted C>nly after' your· Bishop was COnvinced that you were morallJ clean. Did you lie to him?" . "No," David•~~ honestly. don't I ink ness: 0 - • Tlie ffice what at David for an eternity. by David's cem app•~ Uy rerus.11 0 co "I' goln names 'the sheet· pa I· wantfy u I you pie on It." er quickly. Tlje 10 names he his own. He kn tho othcn who ndc~ how wo th . t with any of own and two 'One of them "When you re~~~~ you signed a statement promising you would live by BYU's high Jmoral standards." the officer continued. · "There is now grave question a.s to whether or not you've ltcpt that promise. " I will have 10 submit a report of this interview to the Standards Commiutt. The students and faculty on 1hc committee will review your situation and decide if you will be allowed to continue at the 'Y'. The fact that you have been uncooperative and hostile will not,rest well with the commit• toe. To them it will be a sign of guilt. "I will leave that out of the re-· port if you decide to cooperate a little," the offiett, continued. I "I'm goi'ng to leave the room,'' he said. " While I'm ~one, I want you to write down the names of all those with whom you've had sexual ttlll,on~. ail lh\be you know arc actively involved in homosexuality, and all \hose you suspect might have a siruilar problem. . "And I hope the Lord softens your hean," he said.-i"Timc a nd again good young men have told me tiow grateful lhey were that ~omcone had recogniu-d their problem and given us their name. lrs the only way they ever got Rol>m help. Consider your friends and 11rmp/t ta brothers, David." hini .i ong tim : I don't ·know any• He left the room. David shook thing ~bout t eir sexual pr<:fcrhis head. He.still couldn't believe ences this was happening in 1975. Da id noti the officer was Ten minutes later, the officer initat . j with his fatherly smile returned. ''M ybe yo could help ine· "Have you written down some anoth r way,'. the offi<:er said. names?" he asked. "Do ou kno a tall, red-headed "No.haven't,'' David r<:plied, who angs around the "and 1Vno1 going 10: I thilllit's cafctc a? We'.d like to wrong. "Furthermore," : David said, . '"I'm seldom in 1've made a ~ccision. I plan on the ca etcria. the only tall N:dfinishing this semester. Finals are hcads I ltnow a.re girls,". he said a week away. But I d0n't intend on curtly .. I'm al o not a gossip nor a turning to BYU. lint:" ' "And if I have ny difficulty dcned. "It's obviassociated with taking my finals or - ous y have very bad attitu~t." having my reeords transferred, I'll I hcsn ped. " hat appears to you pnd a lawytt and tile suit against · to be carsay, gossip or finking is you and Brigham Youhg Univerrca11y an op rtunity-no, 11 rc~ity." David ~•id as stood up lo sponsi ility- help your broth• cave. ers at the 'Y' Anyone possessed jHe felt a rush o prile as he with omose1 ality needs all the ooked at the officer's face. that help h can gc . You can give them big fathcrl.v mouth ha,ging wide that Ip· by elling os who ihey open. He left the s«urity office I land. after finals. left BYU. cl very sorry for you," the said." ou m~t be seriousJ,,onths aft , this ind· ved int is sin. Your hostilicl,n,. Davkl k'(IS notixttl bv church ty is idcnce of how much hold f.Dicia/J J11 ltiJ h om ~ tCJ'M'~ that I,~ the'd ii h¥ o you. · ras bring considrrrd for rx"~ r office have also r<:pq.rted omm•nitation. H• ias invirrd tu to m that u have been seen om, to the Bishop Court pro• cntcri g and I aving the homosCxreylingS ~o d,j,nd himsrlf. Hf' ual b n in It Lake City," the . rarnrd that BYU ad infurmrd of)ice conti ued. "You know is loca~biJltop o ltis ··moral BYU tudent should nevef be in · rob/rm • Da~id d}d not attrnd •th. places. Do iltidt. sexual is iria/ o d was rxc mmunicat~d act1v1 cs goo in those bars?" rom ,1,-, ormon C urc-h. I · • iw,;,.,. 0 , i l /s,.,ra/ l .I i• 1 |
