Texas University Ends Its LGBTQ Studies Minor After Republicans Slam It as ‘Absurd’

Texas A&M University will be ending its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer minor that has received criticism from Republican lawmakers.The Battalion, A&M’s student newspaper, reported Thursday that the university would deactivate 14 minors and 38 certificate programs. Those programs failed to enroll enough students to meet the minimum requirement of awarding at least five degrees every academic year. A full accounting of the programs getting the axe will not be publicly known until the Faculty Senate’s next meeting on October 14. However, the director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Theresa Morris, told the Battalion the LGBTQ Studies minor was one of the programs set to be deactivated. A description in the class catalog states that the LGBTQ program “prepares students to examine the ways in which gender and sexuality are socially constructed.” Additionally, the program “examines homophobia and transphobia’s relationship to racism, colonialism, sexism, ableism, classism and other forms of power.”A Texas state representative, Brian Harrison, posted on X that he was informed by A&M’s chancellor, John Sharp, about the decision to “end this absurd program.” He added he was “proud to have helped deliver this victory for Texas taxpayers, who should never be forced to fund liberal indoctrination.”Mr. Harrison has been leading the charge against the program since the beginning of the year. In February, he expressed outrage, saying that A&M’s leadership told him the university is “spending state resources” on the program.Congressman Chip Roy also suggested lawmakers might have to get involved as he told The Daily Caller in February that it is “time for Higher Education Institutions — including Texas A&M — to be held accountable for advancing radical woke policies — both in the Texas Legislature and Congress.”The decision to end the LGBTQ Studies minor is happening amid a growing effort by Republican officials around the country to crack down on and limit the creation of diversity, equity, and inclusion jobs or programs. Opponents of DEI initiatives argue they are “woke” programs that will lead to “reverse discrimination.” Meanwhile, supporters of such efforts maintain that they will help promote a fairer environment on campus for everyone. Governor Abbott signed legislation in June 2023 that banned DEI offices at public colleges and universities in the state. The law states higher education institutions cannot “endorse an ideology that promotes the differential treatment of an individual or group of individuals based on race, color, or ethnicity.” Yet, it does not limit instruction on matters related to race and diversity.It has led to the loss of hundreds of jobs as colleges and universities shuttered DEI offices on campus. In May, NBC News reported the University of Texas cut 311 jobs across its campuses and ended 681 contracts, programs, and training plans as a result of the law. It was reported in November that A&M’s Pride Center would be converted to the Student Life Center to comply with the state’s DEI ban. And in August, the university ended the gender-affirming services it provided to students at its Beutel Student Health Center.

Texas University Ends Its LGBTQ Studies Minor After Republicans Slam It as ‘Absurd’

Texas University Ends Its LGBTQ Studies Minor After Republicans Slam It as ‘Absurd’

More from the New York Sun

Judge in BBC Defamation Suit Threatens Trump Over ‘Lack of Participation’ in Discovery Process

French Protests Boil Over With Buildings Torched and Hundreds Arrested Nationwide

A Disillusioned Democrat Burns Her Bridges, Seeking To Light the Way For the Left

Justice Department Seeks To Disqualify Biden-Appointed Judge Over ‘Animosity for the Trump Administration’

Iran Dials Up Pressure on Hormuz With Record Number of Weekly Strikes on Shipping

‘Beyond Irresponsible’: Republicans on Capitol Hill Denounce Trump’s Decision To Waive Russia Sanctions

Out of Adversity, a Japanese American Design Vision

The Tesla Roadster Can Really Fly, But It’s Not a Real Car Yet

More from the New York Sun

Judge in BBC Defamation Suit Threatens Trump Over ‘Lack of Participation’ in Discovery Process

French Protests Boil Over With Buildings Torched and Hundreds Arrested Nationwide

A Disillusioned Democrat Burns Her Bridges, Seeking To Light the Way For the Left

Justice Department Seeks To Disqualify Biden-Appointed Judge Over ‘Animosity for the Trump Administration’

Iran Dials Up Pressure on Hormuz With Record Number of Weekly Strikes on Shipping

‘Beyond Irresponsible’: Republicans on Capitol Hill Denounce Trump’s Decision To Waive Russia Sanctions

Out of Adversity, a Japanese American Design Vision

The Tesla Roadster Can Really Fly, But It’s Not a Real Car Yet