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Marc Jacobs LGBT History Month October 21, 2014

PRESS RELEASE

 
31 October, 2014

On October 8, 2014, Pacific Union College Chaplain Jonathan Henderson gave a presentation on relationships that resonated with many LGBTIQ Adventists. The presentation, entitled “Adam and Steve,” was from PUC’s Fall Revival series, and quickly went viral. The video received upwards of 33,000 views and was viewed in over 138 countries.
 
The sermon was celebrated by LGBTIQ Adventists and allies alike as it represented a new approach for dialogue on the topic of sexual orientation and gender identity within the church. “Adam and Steve” was celebrated for its tone: humility, love, and inclusion.
 
On Wednesday, would-be viewers discovered that Henderson’s presentation had been removed from the PUC church website. Spectrum has reported that the college asked staff to remove the content from the church website “due to concerns from legal counsel.”
 
Seventh-Day Adventist Kinship International is very disappointed that Pacific Union College has decided to remove the “Adam and Steve” presentation without explanation. As we have learned in over 40 years of support and advocacy for LGBTIQ Adventists, censorship is unhelpful and silence is potentially life-threatening.
 
We will continue to support the students of the Intercollegiate Adventist GSA Coalition (IAGC) in wrestling with the issues of faith and sexuality and conducting respectful conversations in their community. We are saddened to hear reports that the college administration has prioritized public relation concerns over the well-being of its student body.
 
We urge the PUC administration to affirm and support their LGBTIQ students: a very strong step in that direction would be restoring the full Fall Revival series on the PUC church website and hosting a series of conversations about the issues it has raised.
 
Yolanda Elliott, President
Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International
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