By Morgan
Sung
Seattle Pacific University (SPU) seniors presented rainbow flags to the interim president of the school as they received their diplomas on Sunday to protest the school's anti-LGBTQ policies.
The organized action, which went viral on TikTok, was part of the ongoing student protests organized by the Associated Students of Seattle Pacific (ASSP).
"All year, we've been working on LGBTQ issues in protest and inclusion, and it's a really big issue on the college campus right now," said senior and ASSP representative Chloe Guillot.
"At graduation,
this is our final moment as students.
Our last little swan song, though we're going to keep fighting."
SPU is a religious educational institution affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, according to its website, which states that the school "reserves the right to prefer employees or prospective employees on the basis of religion."
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The ASSP has protested the school's "employee lifestyle expectations" policy, which prohibits "sexual behavior that is inconsistent with the University's understanding of biblical norms."
Full-time employees are expected to refrain from "cohabitation, extramarital sexual activity, and same-sex sexual activity," the policy says.
Employees can face disciplinary action and dismissal if they violate the rule.
During the ceremony, Guillot claimed that between 40 and 50 graduates held Rainbow Pride flags as they took the stage to receive their diplomas.
Some refrained from shaking hands with Interim President Pete Menjares, opting instead to hand him the flag.
A video of the ceremony, posted by the @engaygetheculture account, garnered more than 3 million views in two days.
In an email statement, Interim President Menjares said Sunday "was a wonderful day to celebrate with our graduates. Those who took the time to give me a flag showed me how they felt and I respect their opinion."
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The College Senate has recommended that the school drop the “employee lifestyle expectation” policy, but the suggestion was rejected by the school board.
The ASSP calls on the group, of which the school's president is a part, to reveal each of its members' vote on the lifestyle policy, and for those who voted against keeping the policy to openly condemn those who they voted in favour.
The group is also demanding that those in favor resign from the school board.
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The students originally planned to protest at graduation by giving Menjares rainbow-colored erasers, but Guillot said "they were never sent."
"I thought, okay, nothing's going to happen. And then I showed up and I was waiting in this little back room to line up for graduation, and someone came in and handed me like 20 Pride flags," Guillot said.
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When the first person handed Menjares a flag, Guillot said the audience responded with "prolonged applause."
When the second person did, "people started clapping really hard."
Guillot was sitting near a professor, who recalls that she "wouldn't stop laughing" every time a new graduate approached Menjares with a flag.
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The protesters are raising funds to file a lawsuit against the board of trustees for breach of fiduciary duty, arguing that the board is not acting in the best interest of the school.
Taking advantage of fair community support
Although the school board voted to keep the existing policy, SPU faculty have been "largely supportive" of the student protest, Guillot said.
Many wore rainbow stoles to the graduation ceremony.
SPU's Faculty Senate passed a resolution earlier this month in response to the board's decision to uphold the policy.
The resolution recommended that the school revise its employee conduct policy to allow “same-sex sexual activity in the context of marriage,” which would benefit people in same-sex marriages from being eligible for employment.
It also established a task force to "explore the feasibility of affiliation" with Christian denominations other than the Free Methodist Church.
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"There has been a lot of support on campus but the people who have the power, like the president or the Board of Directors, are the ones who ultimately make the decision," Guillot continued.
She and other recent graduates returned after the ceremony to continue the protest.
Those still in college also plan to start training new freshmen to keep the momentum going and prepare them for the potential legal battle if SPU protesters go ahead with the lawsuit against the school board.
