Graceland College Adds Sexual Orientation to Policy of Nondiscrimination

November 10, 1997

Dear Friends,

On Saturday, the Graceland College Board of Trustees added "sexual orientation" to the College's Policy on Nondiscrimination, expressly promising to the Graceland Community to protect Graceland's lesbian, gay, and bisexual students, faculty and staff from institutional discrimination.

This process, which was begun by Bob Mesle and Aaron Sherer almost two years ago, finally ended in justice. Thanks to each of you for your letters of support and your personal involvement in this important issue. Now that we have this policy in place, we can direct our energy toward the more important task of actually improving the Graceland Community, and our individual communities, as places where peace and justice for all people are recognized, nurtured and protected.

To that end, as some of you may know, GALA (the support group for RLDS lesbian, gay and bisexual people, their friends and family) has donated a collection of books to the Graceland library, a list of which is available from me via email upon request. Additionally, I recently spoke to all of Graceland's Orientation to College Life classes (a required first year course), and met with the college faculty, elected student leaders and President Clinefelter to discuss issues of concern regarding sexual orientation discrimination on the campus. Finally, Bob Mesle and I spoke with the Trustees this weekend prior to their vote to share with them our feelings and insight into this issue. As you can see, we are well on our way toward making a difference in the Graceland Community.

I wish you all the very best. Please keep in touch if you become aware of related areas with which we should be concerned, on Graceland's campus or elsewhere.

In peace,

Michael Lewis