By Cassidy Grom and Becca Robb | Echo
Tuesday evening, Choros, a discussion group about gender and sexuality, reconvened for the first time this semester.
Approximately 20 people gathered in the Braden Room around a large dinner table. Their colored DC plates clinked together as attendees shuffled to make space for each other. The club has gathered for nearly four years, but is altering its format.
"I would definitely like to have a variety of groups involved (in our events)," club president senior Zack Taylor said. "Latino Student Union, Black Student Union. I want it to be a little more broad than just the scope of Choros."
On Tuesday, members discussed the possibility of using books, articles and videos as launchpads for informed conversation. They also welcomed members to share personal stories about their experiences and journeys. One member shared his story of discovering he is gay.
Zack Taylor hopes these open conversations will lend formerly hypothetical situations both names and faces.
The LTC lists homosexual behavior as being "expressly prohibited in Scripture and therefore (is) to be avoided by all members of the community." However, Zack Taylor clarified that living with same-sex attraction is not the same as acting on it.
"You're not going to run into disciplinary action if you say that you're gay," he said. "Now, if you're running around and engaging in homosexual behavior . . . that's where it kind of falls (apart)."
Faculty advisor Kevin Diller has advised the group since its founding. He said the group does not intend to promote any singular opinion, but to create a safe space for discussion.
The conversations that will occur in the Braden room this year may carry more weight in light of today's political forums. Christians continue to discuss gender and sexuality after the Supreme Court's decision in July to legalize homosexual marriage. Because of their new policies allowing for practicing gay faculty, both Goshen and Eastern Mennonite University have withdrawn from the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), of which Taylor University is a member.
"The (Choros) group doesn't have an agenda to change a policy," Diller said. "Taylor is very up-front about taking a traditional view on marriage."
This article was updated Friday, September 25 at 4:45 p.m.
