Pepperdine University Continues To Deny Student’s Request To Recognize Proposed Gay And Lesbian Support Group On Campus

Students at Pepperdine University in California have amassed nearly 4,000 signatures in an online petition protesting the administration's decision not to grant recognition of a proposed gay and lesbian support group on the Malibu campus. The Associated Press reports that students submitted an application for club recognition of their group, Reach OUT, on November 9. They were notified of the denial about a month later. Dean of Students Mark Davis, a spokesman for the university, says the group's mission is not aligned with the conservative religious university's beliefs on sexual morality. Students say the university's policy creates an atmosphere of silence and anxiety that alienates the LGBT — lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender — student population and those concerned for their well-being. The latest denial marks the fourth attempt to start a LGBT support group at Pepperdine