Our Views: Political game on new minor
A few of Louisiana’s anti-gay politicians continue to major on the minors, having protested the establishment of a minor in lesbian and gay studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
As a minor, such a credential on a diploma may help a student advance in graduate school. It costs ULL essentially nothing. Like most major universities ULL already offers the courses in sociology, literature or other fields that can be taken for the minor.
Nor is this an unusual field of study. ULL President Joe Savoie noted in his blog that courses in gay and lesbian studies have been offered for many years at many universities around the country.
In fact, gay studies majors — not minors — are offered at many major institutions.
“Regardless of our personal feelings, as an academic institution, the university is obligated and committed to, within the law, the discovery and dissemination of knowledge, the protection of individual and group rights, and the preservation of religious and academic freedoms,” Savoie wrote on his blog.
“Our desired posture is to be neither advocate nor adversary on controversial social issues of the day. Rather, our responsibility is to provide in an impartial manner an opportunity for investigation, analysis and understanding.”
We agree with Savoie. This should not be controversial.
Let’s not major on the minors.