Purdue clarifies non-discrimination policy

By Vanessa Renderman
Special Projects Editor

On Tuesday, Purdue became the last Big Ten university to specifically include marital status, parental status and sexual orientation in its non-discrimination policy.

"It became clear to me that the policy needed to be clarified," said Purdue president Martin Jischke.

The disputed section of the non-discrimination policy now reads, "Purdue University prohibits discrimination against any member of the University community on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran."

Joe Bennett, vice president of University relations, said, "The announcement was really not a change but a clarification of what has been an ongoing policy."

The addition of sexual orientation to the policy is being seen as a victory for gay rights advocates on campus.

"I am surprised and overjoyed that the president has made this move," said Breck Jones, president of Purdue Equality Alliance. "I was not sure that our campaign was having a strong enough effect."

In September, members of the alliance gathered signatures of support to include the sexual orientation language and presented the petitions to Jischke.

The organization held a vigil and also invited a lesbian couple to campus to speak about their struggle to have their relationship recognized as a civil union.

The women, Holly Puterbaugh and Lois Farnham, won a battle in Vermont on April 26 when the governor signed a bill legally recognizing civil unions. Civil unions offer most of the same benefits as marriage, including the legal right to sign important documents as a spouse.

The group made an effort to make the anti-discrimination policy an issue on campus. Bennett said Jischke met with the student organization in the first semester shortly after he arrived at Purdue.

"That group asked him to reconsider the statement of the anti-discrimination policy; he said he would," Bennett said. "He reached the conclusion that everyone in the University (and everywhere else) should understand that Purdue will not discriminate against any of the three groups mentioned in the clarification."

Although Purdue Equality Alliance campaigned this semester for this addition to the non-discrimination policy, its efforts were not the sole reason for the change.

Jischke said, "There were a number of people who raised questions about the non-discrimination policy."

Alysa Rollock, vice president for human relations, said that although Purdue Equality Alliance and community members have been more vocal this past year, discussion of policy changes has been going on for the past eight years.

"This has been under consideration and under review," she said.

"We certainly considered (Purdue Equality Alliance's) views and other members of the University. The University did what it believed was in the best interest for Purdue."

Members of Purdue Equality Alliance agree. Bryan Szyper, treasurer and co-founder of Purdue Equality Alliance, said he hopes the policy change will attract more gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students and faculty to Purdue.

Szyper said the change will help foster tolerance and acceptance of all sexual orientations at Purdue, which is one of the group's main goals.

The next goal the alliance has is to create a scholarship for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people at Purdue.

• The group will hold a celebration at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Stewart Center, Room 310. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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