Texas A&M president vetoes effort to force social sciences students to take LGBTQ Studies course
The class is called ‘Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies.’
The decision comes after the university ended its LGBTQ Studies Minor in September.
Texas A&M University will not require social science students to take a course on LGBTQ Studies after the school president vetoed a proposal making the course mandatory.
Specifically, President Mark Welsh vetoed an effort by the school’s faculty senate to make a class called “Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies” a part of the core curriculum–specifically, the core curriculum for social and behavioral sciences students, Texas Scorecard reported.
A syllabus from last semester published by The Texas Scorecard reveals that the class required students to research an LGBTQ advocacy group as a portion of the final grade. The “LGBTQ Issues project” had students research an “LGBTQ issue” as well as an “LGBTQ-related advocacy group” and design a fifteen-minute presentation.
“The advocacy group can be international, national, or regional,” the course syllabus says. “The students will provide a brief history of the advocacy group, identify the objectives of the advocacy group, and discuss some measures taken by the advocacy group to achieve their aims.”
The course objectives from last fall include discussing “social constructionist and essentialist theories of sexuality and gender and analyz[ing] how these perspectives understand LGBTQ identities.”
Students also studied intersectionality and “structures” that “reinforce cis/heteronormativity, homo/bi/transphobia, and heterosexism.”
The professor for Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies last year was Koyel Khan, an instructional assistant professor, with research interests in “gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, [and] globalization.”
Khan also has a “deep orientation towards social justice,” according to her bio.
President Welsh’s veto comes after the university’s Board of Trustees attempted to ban drag shows on campus in March.
Following the ban, a federal judge declared the policy unconstitutional and allowed a student group to continue organizing its annual “Draggieland.”
In September, the university also eliminated an LGBTQ Studies Minor.
“After months of calling for A&M to end this absurd program, I was pleased to learn from Chancellor Sharp they plan to end it,” State Rep. Brian Harrison posted to X at the time. “Proud to have helped deliver this victory for Texas taxpayers, who should never be forced to fund liberal indoctrination.”
Campus Reform contacted Texas A&M University, President Welsh’s office, the faculty senate, and Koyel Khan for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.
