Majority of Gordon Students Find Same-Sex Relationships, Marijuana, Morally Acceptable

by Collin Hall '21, Editor-in-Chief

More than 430 students, out of a total undergraduate population of 1,507, responded to an October survey conducted by The Tartan that covers a wide range of issues, including two questions that asked for direct input on campus policy as expressed in the student handbook. In order to take the survey, students were asked to provide a current Gordon email; students were asked to take the survey only once. Students were required to answer every question on the survey and measures were taken to ensure that no duplicate responses were recorded. 

The October survey found that a majority of Gordon students believe that it is morally acceptable for Christians to be in a relationship with a member of the same sex, a belief that breaks from what the college calls a “traditional” view of human sexuality. 

The survey found that 56% of responding Gordon students believe it “is it acceptable for Christians to be in same-sex relationships.” Gordon has maintained a long-standing policy that prevents the expression of same-sex relationships on campus. 

This is in line with national trends as found by Pew Research; they write in a 2017 analysis that “Millennials are more likely than older adults to take liberal positions on social and political issues… The gap between younger and older evangelicals is perhaps most noticeable on LGBT issues.”

Notably, 14.7% of responding Gordon students say that they identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, while 6.3% say they are “unsure,” and an additional 2.3% said that they prefer not to say. Even though many students appear to have beliefs that diverge from the college, Gordon does not officially sanction an LGBTQ+ club where members can work through their sexuality and identity in a Christian setting. 

In response to the 56 / 44 split, a split that Gordon’s Republican’s Club co-leader Liam Siegler sees as telling of Gordon’s ratio of conservatives and progressives, Siegler had this to say.

“We already knew it existed, but this data shows that there are major differences of opinion amongst the Gordon student body. For some, it might come as a surprise. Many times, it feels like there are far less than 44% of students who lean more conservative. Progressive viewpoints are far more pronounced here. However, this reality is both encouraging and humbling. It motivates me to continue giving a voice to those who otherwise would be silent. Furthermore, it demonstrates realities that I believe all Christians need to grapple with. Not everyone, even those who profess Christ, will agree with you. You might believe that those dividing points are incredibly important, but regardless of how strongly you feel about them, our call is to walk in love with each other...”

Gordon’s Democrat’s Club co-leader Devon Leslie found the majority support of gay students “encouraging,” but not for the same reasons as Siegler. 

In an email to The Tartan, Leslie said:  "I think seeing over half of the Gordon responses be supportive of those in same-sex relationships is encouraging. It is important to remember that the greatest commandment given in the Bible is to love God and love your neighbors and that love should extend into the voting booth. Regardless of your personal beliefs, the protection of our neighbors is among our highest callings and that starts with simple acceptance and love. Acceptance cannot be in name only, it should be reflected in our actions and words, not just our thoughts."

Gordon students, according to our survey, largely do not align themselves with a major political party. 25.5% of respondents align themselves with the Democratic party, 20.4% with the Republican party, with only 6.5% of respondents uninterested in American politics. A sizable plurality, 47.6%, of Gordon students say they are “politically interested but not aligned with a major party.”

The Tartan also reached out to various campus publications for their thoughts on the results. Nicole Valli, Editor-In-Chief of Gordon’s literary prose journal Vox Populi, said: “I find these results encouraging. Lately, it has been easy to feel like Gordon is being ‘taken over’ by one political side or the other, but these results show that’s not always the case. There are a lot more of us who are willing to vouch for the LGBTQ+ community and demonstrate God’s love to everyone no matter who or what. I read these results as 56% of students at Gordon believe that love is love and rather than let these numbers get us down, we should realize there is a community of support at Gordon, we just need to draw closer together.”

Caroline Lavoie, Editor-In-Chief of The Idiom, Gordon’s poetry and art publication, sees these results as an indicator that Gordon is becoming more “kind.” She said: “The results of the survey are encouraging to see, and give me hope that the school might be heading in a more kind and tolerant direction. Gordon has the opportunity to set an example for how Christians should respond in love to members of the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s exciting that the student body already seems to reflect that.”

The vast majority, 70%, of respondents say that Gordon should “treat same-sex couples the way it treats heterosexual couples,” a position that marks a severe dissonance between student opinion and campus-policy. As it stands, Gordon’s Life and Conduct Statement as found in the student handbook forbids what it calls “homosexual practice.”

The Tartan reached out to Rick Sweeney, Gordon’s VP of External Communications, for comment on the survey. He responded with comment on the question regarding the student body’s split on same-sex relationships. 

“This isn’t a surprising outcome, as national data in recent years has shown a shift in attitude around this topic, particularly among younger generations of Christians. Gordon’s Life and Conduct standards place sexual ethics in a biblical and theological perspective grounded in traditional orthodox views of Scripture. What doesn’t change is our expectation that we treat everyone both within and outside the Gordon community with grace and respect and recognize the reality that we will not always agree on these issues.”

President Lindsay has received criticism for a 2015 letter he signed that, to quote InsideHigherEd.com, asked President Obama for exemption from “a planned executive order that would bar federal contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation.” Gordon currently implements a policy that disallows affirming speakers from speaking on campus without a “historical” or “traditional” perspective present.

Our survey also asked students to provide their thoughts on marijuana and its use among Gordon students, especially as marijuana is legalized in states across America. A large plurality, 49.4%, of Gordon students say that they believe it “is acceptable for Christians to use marijuana.” Meanwhile, 38.9% of surveyed students believe that marijuana use is acceptable only for medical purposes. For comparison, only 11.7% of students believe that marijuana is morally unacceptable for Christians to use under any circumstances. 

Despite these differing opinions on when and where marijuana should be used, 70.4% of surveyed students believe that Gordon students should be permitted to use marijuana off-campus. Gordon’s student handbook currently forbids marijuana in any context. It states: “Gordon College does not allow marijuana possession or use for any reason, no matter how small the amount. Possession and/or use of medical marijuana (in any form) is also prohibited, even with a prescription.”