(ETH) – For years BYU University upheld an honor code that prohibited “homosexual behavior” of any kind including hugging, holding hands, kissing or public affection in public on its campus but those days may have just come to an end as a new report is indicating that the Mormon-owned Brigham Young University has just removed the student honor code that banned such behavior on Campus.
As a result of this decision, LGBTQ students are left unsure if public displays of affection are now permitted on campus. The change was first reported by the Salt Lake Tribune. “I feel free and cared for by the university for the first time in a long time,” Franchesca Lopez, who is an undergraduate studying sociology, told CNN. “I really hope they don’t disappoint me again.”
This section of the code now removed, LGBTQ students interpreted it to mean they could be seen publicly with a significant other, and many of them celebrated what they viewed as a win. But the university was quick to tell the students that they may have misinterpreted the policy. “The Honor Code Office will handle questions that arise on a case by case basis,” the university tweeted. “For example, since dating means different things to different people, the Honor Code Office will work with students individually.”
CNN reportedly contacted the University for more clarity and received the following response: “The principles of the honor code have not changed,” she said. “We will handle questions that arise on an individual, case-by-case basis.” She said the role of the Honor Code Office is not to “approve or disapprove relationships,” but to help students maintain their commitment to the code. “We want our LGBTQ students to feel welcome and included on our campus,” she added.
