Baylor University to Return $643,000 LGBTQ Inclusion Grant
Baylor says LGBTQ inclusion study would conflict with its Christian values, prompting it to return a grant meant to support the research.
Baylor University, a Baptist college in Waco, Texas, is rescinding a $643,000 grant it received to study the inclusion of LGBTQ people and women in the church.
The grant, awarded to Baylor’s Center for Church and Community Impact in the School of Social Work, came from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which funds progressive, faith-related initiatives focused on church-state separation, interfaith projects, and social justice.
The money was intended to “help foster inclusion and belonging in the church” by funding research into “the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations,” with the goal of encouraging more inclusive practices.
In a letter posted to the university’s website, Baylor President Linda Livingstone said returning the money “is the appropriate course of action and in the best interests” of the school.
She noted that objections to the grant stemmed not from the research itself, but from concerns that it might require Baylor to advocate views on human sexuality that conflict with university policies, including its Statement on Human Sexuality, which discourages extramarital sex and same-sex behavior.
“We remain committed to providing a loving and caring community for all — including our LGBTQIA+ students — because it is part and parcel of our University’s mission that calls us to educate our students within a caring Christian community,” Livingstone wrote.
However, she also emphasized that the university’s institutional beliefs and policies remain unchanged — a nod to conservative Baptists concerned the school might stray from its Christian identity.
“Baylor remains deeply committed to its unique role as a Christian research university — one that encourages rigorous inquiry and thoughtful exploration of complex issues,” she added. “We will continue to support our faculty and researchers in pursuing meaningful scholarship, while ensuring that such work aligns with our institutional processes.”
Baylor was one of several schools named in a class-action lawsuit that sought to challenge religious exemptions granted to religious colleges that allow them to discriminate against LGBTQ students. The lawsuit, which was eventually dismissed, argued that the federal exemption granted to religious colleges violated the rights of students who were being subjected to harassment, discipline, discrimination, or even forced to undergo conversion therapy for identifying as LGBTQ.
Baylor was among several schools named in a class-action lawsuit challenging religious exemptions that allow faith-based colleges to discriminate against LGBTQ students. The suit — eventually dismissed — argued that such exemptions violated students’ rights and enabled harassment, discipline, and even forced conversion therapy.
In 2019, a Baylor professor apologized to his students after a guest speaker, invited to discuss missionary work with deaf communities, strayed from the topic and promoted conversion therapy for LGBTQ people. The university issued a statement saying it “does not practice or condone” the therapy, which is often marketed as a way to “cure” LGBTQ identity.
In a statement to NBC News, the Baugh Foundation said it was “deeply saddened” by Baylor’s decision to cancel the research grant.
“This was an opportunity to answer the Christian call to care for the marginalized by creating resources and providing important research for faith communities,” the foundation said. “Our hearts break for the professors, research fellows, and especially the students who will receive this message from Baylor, loud and clear. We hope this moment will be a catalyst for reflection — and inspire other institutions to take up the important work that Baylor has abandoned.”
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