{"id":40526,"date":"2018-11-26T09:43:39","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T14:43:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=40526"},"modified":"2019-04-08T10:01:01","modified_gmt":"2019-04-08T14:01:01","slug":"student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/","title":{"rendered":"Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet"},"content":{"rendered":"

A group of Eastern Mennonite University students gathered outside of Lehman Auditorium before and after a November campus worship service featuring visiting theologian N.T. Wright<\/a> to draw attention to his refusal to meet with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their mouths covered with rainbow duct tape, approximately 18 members and allies of Safe Space \u2013 a support group for the LGBTQ community on campus \u2013 stood after the service with arms linked in a silent, outward-facing circle, while other students nearby displayed rainbow flags.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
During their performance before N.T. Wright’s chapel lecture in Lehman Auditorium, some members of the University Choir showed support by wearing Safe Space t-shirts and flags around their shoulders.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Emily Powell, a senior who co-leads Safe Space, said members of the group first became concerned about Wright\u2019s visit to campus after learning in late August of \u201cderogatory and dehumanizing\u201d comments made by him about the LGBTQ community.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe hoped to make a statement about hearing queer voices on campus,\u201d said Safe Space co-leader Abigail Shumaker. \u201cI really hope increasing Safe Space\u2019s visibility on campus will be able to lead our whole community at EMU in a positive direction. … EMU is stronger when we all stand together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright came to Harrisonburg for a two-day, five-lecture series that drew widespread interest. A pastors\u2019 breakfast was attended by 140 area church leaders, and later audiences filled James Madison University\u2019s Memorial Hall and Eastern Mennonite Seminary\u2019s Martin Chapel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently the research professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Wright has also been Bishop of Durham and a professor of New Testament studies at Cambridge, McGill and Oxford universities. <\/span><\/p>\n

His visit was sponsored by the Missional Church Partnership coalition, the Augsburger Lecture Series and Aubrey Spears, rector at the Church of the Incarnation and Caf\u00e9 Veritas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Safe Space communicated through Campus Pastor <\/span>Brian Martin Burkholder<\/span><\/a> an invitation for conversation with Wright, but Wright declined meeting to discuss issues of sexuality. <\/span><\/p>\n

Powell said she would have liked to ask Wright the same question she has asked others: \u201cHow did they rationalize the radical love and inclusion that Jesus taught directly with the hatred and discrimination that modern Christian politics uphold?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright\u2019s refusal was concerning to a number of faculty, including Professor Deanna Durham, who serves as Safe Space faculty adviser.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe talk a lot about academic freedom and the importance of people talking across difference,\u201d Durham said, \u201cand so we have someone who comes to campus who says, \u2018I won\u2019t do that.\u2019 From an academic point of view, it\u2019s a real missed opportunity. We have expertise on dialogue and facilitation at EMU and I think we could have had a very productive conversation more broadly about the church and how we work at inclusion, not just LGBTQ inclusion but beyond that as well. It\u2019s the work of the academy \u2013 to talk about things and to model that even when we hold differences about what it means to follow Jesus, we can sit together around a table. It helps us humanize one another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the months leading up to Wright\u2019s visit, numerous formal meetings and discussions occurred, including when President <\/span>Susan Schultz Huxman<\/span><\/a> and Vice President for Student Life <\/span>Jim Smucker<\/span><\/a> hosted members and allies of Safe Space in a listening session. <\/span><\/p>\n

Safe Space invited the Augsburger Lecture Series committee, members of the convocation committee, and queer students and their allies to join a circle process about Wright\u2019s visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe got a lot of good work done, with a good amount of tears and a lot of honesty,\u201d Powell said of the two-hour process. \u201c… I don\u2019t feel quite as attacked as I did when I first learned that Wright was coming here.\u201d Instead, she said, she more feels \u201clike I\u2019m a part of this community and not something that is divisive just in terms of my identity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that the [organizers of Wright\u2019s visit] did not have intentions of seeing this harm in the community, but that does not mean the harm is not there,\u201d said a Safe Space flier made available at the protest. \u201cWe have been heard by some, but our hearts still ache.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As during other campus worship gatherings, alternative worship sessions were offered, including \u201cQueer and Christian: A Staff Faith Story.\u201d Other Safe Space events planned during the week included a viewing of the documentary <\/span>Believer<\/span><\/i> and a time of hearing stories from the LGBTQ community.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outside Lehman Auditorium, the response to the protesters was \u201coverwhelmingly good,\u201d Powell said, with some people making eye contact, nodding, or saying \u201cI\u2019m with you.\u201d The response of two women in particular stood out to her: \u201cThey went around the circle and hugged every single person, and at the very end said, \u2018You\u2019re loved. I see you,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI almost lost it at that point.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Not all campus worship attenders were supportive of the protestors. One who repeatedly addressed the protesters was diverted by an affiliate in campus ministries and faculty members.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the 24 hours following the Safe Space action, several of the chalk messages the group had written on campus sidewalks for the protest were changed.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a campus-wide email, Huxman identified the changes as hate speech.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEMU is committed to creating an open, safe and inclusive community for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and\/or gender expression,\u201d she wrote. \u201cToday, we stand with all in our EMU community who identify as and\/or advocate for the LGBTQ community. We are renewed in our commitment to support practices that foster respect and dignity for every person on our own campus as we are called \u2018to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A group of Eastern Mennonite University students gathered outside of Lehman Auditorium before and after a November campus worship service featuring visiting theologian N.T. Wright to draw attention to his ... read more about Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14715],"tags":[5809,6778,6795,14791,17520],"feature":[17426,17241],"class_list":["post-40526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-life","tag-brian-martin-burkholder","tag-deanna-durham","tag-diversity","tag-jim-smucker","tag-susan-schultz-huxman","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nStudent group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A group of Eastern Mennonite University students gathered outside of Lehman Auditorium before and after a November campus worship service featuring visiting theologian N.T. Wright to draw attention to his\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-26T14:43:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-04-08T14:01:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2018\/11\/20181114-NT-Wright-convocation-34-1-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/\",\"name\":\"Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet - EMU News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2018\/11\/20181114-NT-Wright-convocation-34-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-26T14:43:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-04-08T14:01:01+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d6737034219398924e6bd5dedcfa1245\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2018\/11\/20181114-NT-Wright-convocation-34-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2018\/11\/20181114-NT-Wright-convocation-34-1.jpg\",\"width\":3000,\"height\":2000},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\",\"name\":\"EMU News\",\"description\":\"News from the Eastern Mennonite University community.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d6737034219398924e6bd5dedcfa1245\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet - EMU News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet - EMU News","og_description":"A group of Eastern Mennonite University students gathered outside of Lehman Auditorium before and after a November campus worship service featuring visiting theologian N.T. Wright to draw attention to his","og_url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/","og_site_name":"EMU News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite","article_published_time":"2018-11-26T14:43:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-04-08T14:01:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2018\/11\/20181114-NT-Wright-convocation-34-1-1024x683.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@EMU_News","twitter_site":"@EMU_News","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/","name":"Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet - EMU News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2018\/11\/20181114-NT-Wright-convocation-34-1.jpg","datePublished":"2018-11-26T14:43:39+00:00","dateModified":"2019-04-08T14:01:01+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d6737034219398924e6bd5dedcfa1245"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2018\/11\/20181114-NT-Wright-convocation-34-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2018\/11\/20181114-NT-Wright-convocation-34-1.jpg","width":3000,"height":2000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/student-group-safe-space-organizes-silent-protest-in-response-to-visiting-theologians-refusal-to-meet\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Student group Safe Space organizes silent protest in response to visiting theologian\u2019s refusal to meet"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/","name":"EMU News","description":"News from the Eastern Mennonite University community.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d6737034219398924e6bd5dedcfa1245","name":"admin","sameAs":["http:\/\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40526"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40542,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40526\/revisions\/40542"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40526"},{"taxonomy":"feature","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature?post=40526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}