University of Alabama exempts YAF from putting mandatory LGBT language in group constitution

The University of Alabama has agreed to exempt a conservative group from a mandate to forcibly promote LGBT ideology in its student constitution.

On Feb. 25, Trenton Buffenbarger of the university’s Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter wrote about the school’s recent efforts to require all student organization’s to incorporate an anti-discrimination statement using the terms “gender identity, gender expression, [and] sexual identity.”

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”A team of University of Alabama lawyers reworked the school’s non-discrimination clause, and my campus finally let leftist ideology stand in the way of conservatism on campus—and my YAF chapter was a clear target of this cult,” he wrote. 

The student official noted that the YAF chapter stood firm and refused to “validate gender ideology.”

”Gender identity, gender expression, sexual identity, etc., are simply nice terms to hide behind when a man decides to wear a skirt into the ladies’ room and lie about what he is or to push people with psychological issues into harmful behaviors,” he noted. “YAF stands for the truth, even when it is uncomfortable.”

Buffenbarger writes that the school denied YAF’s renewal application and warned the organization that it could not host events should its constitution not be amended. As a result, the chapter sought assistance from Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and the national YAF organization.

”The day after the complaint was sent, the department overseeing student orgs sent us an email stating that the president had shared our email with them, and that they would be providing an exemption to the clause for YAF,” Buffenbarger said.

”Sometimes, all it takes is a little pressure for leftist administrators to back down, especially if that pressure is from state or local officials,” he continued. “We will continue to fight to prevent the school from forcing gender ideology on any club.”

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In comments made to The Crimson White, Buffenbarger suggested that the school violated First Amendment rights by requiring the group to include such terms.

”UA tried to force us to not only comply, but to explicitly put something we disagree with in writing in our constitution,” he remarked. “It is a violation of the First Amendment.”

A copy of the email sent from YAF to university officials over the group’s refusal to include the LGBT-based terms shows that the group invoked its free speech rights and protections. 

”We reject gender ideology and thus refuse to recognize gender identity, gender expression, sexual identity,” it read. “Forcing us to use this language violates our free speech rights.”

Campus Reform has reached out to the University of Alabama for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.