This article was co-written by Laney Butt and Sarah Owens.
More than 690 people have signed an open letter to Milligan’s trustees and administration calling for changes to the university’s policies regarding gender identity, sexual orientation and marriage status.
As of April 19, 691 individuals had signed the letter, which was posted by MilliganForAll, a self-described “open and affirming alumni collective.” The letter was published to their website on March 11 and printed in the Johnson City Press on April 11.
Many of those supporting the call for change have close ties to Milligan, including the board of directors of MilliganForAll. All eight are alumni, and three are former staff members.
“We do want to be in partnership and relationship with the institution, and it really is up to them how they do or don’t respond to us,” said MilliganforAll President Jessica Carter. “We remain hopeful.”
President Bill Greer commented in an email to the Stampede on March 15, “Milligan’s Board of Trustees and administration will be continuing to review questions related to the LGBTQ community, as we have previously stated. We remain committed to learning, growing, and deepening our understanding of how we can ensure Milligan is a welcoming community for everyone while honoring our understanding of God’s Word.”
When signing the letter, individuals can choose between seven labels to best describe their involvement with the university. Alumni form the largest group, with 439 signatures. Other categories include current and former faculty and staff, current students, community members, friends, family, or “not applicable.”
MilliganForAll’s mission statement says that the group is for “anyone who wishes to see Milligan University free from discrimination. We seek to transform MU into a place that fully embodies and expresses Christ’s love. A place welcoming of all gender identities and sexual orientations.”
The letter from the group is available at www.milliganforall.org, along with a list of all that have signed.
Milligan’s current statement on human sexuality is available in the Student Handbook and on the website.
This story was originally published on March 30, 2021. It has been updated to reflect current numbers on the MilliganforAll website.