Gay Publication Relaunched at Christian College

A group of anonymous students at a Christian college in Arkansas relaunched an LGBTQ publication last week, after a gay zine started seven years ago was blocked by the university.

The Harding University students unveiled the website, HU Queer Press 2.0, Friday, and passed out copies of the print publication, available as a PDF online.

The students described their mission on their website: "Though we are a new group of students with new ideas, we still strive for the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. We want this publication to spark honest and intelligent conversations that will hopefully lead to change, not only in attitude, but in policy. We want to be a safe haven for queer students to make their voices heard without the risk of being outed."

HU Queer Press 2.0 published a statement on Twitter Saturday accusing public safety officers of throwing away copies of the print publication.

“Public safety was seen taking them off of cars. Some have said that they have seen public safety ask for people to give them over but I have not seen this with my own eyes. They are for a fact taking them off of cars though,” HU Queer Press 2.0 wrote.

A professor at Harding expressed support for the LGBTQ publication in a tweet Sunday. “To my LGBTQ+ students: I hear you, and I love you. You have the right to exist and God loves you. You are always welcome in my classrooms and my office,” Nathan Henton wrote.

Another LGBTQ zine launched in 2011, State of the Gay, was swiftly blocked on the campus network, The Arkansas Times reported. Same-sex relationships are prohibited at Harding and can result in suspension.