Debate erupts as LGBTQ+ supporters contest SUU choice of church official as commencement speaker

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks at the St. George Tabernacle in July 2021. Holland, a southern Utah native, was recently announced as the keynote speaker for the 2023 commencement ceremonies at Southern Utah University. The move drew pushback from supporters of the LGBTQ+ community because of Holland's past remarks against same-sex marriages and other LGBTQ+ related topics.
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Southern Utah University was set to start hosting "listening sessions" Monday in response to pushback from supporters of the LGBTQ+ community against the school's choice of Elder Jeffery R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the keynote speaker for the 2023 commencement ceremonies.

Intense opposition to the announcement raged online over the weekend, with more than 15,000 people signing an online petition calling for the school to remove Holland. Authors of the petition said Holland "has openly opposed LGBTQ+ individuals," including in a controversial 2021 speech at Brigham Young University in which Holland called on faculty and staff there to take up metaphorical "muskets" to defend the church's stance that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

"Including Holland in the Commencement proceedings of SUU would fail to serve the student body, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community and students who do not follow the religious teachings of the LDS church," reads the petition.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Jeffery R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A separate petition to keep Holland on as speaker had a little more than 700 signatures as of early Monday.

University officials announced Holland as the keynote speaker on Thursday, saying his local connections as a St. George native matched up well with the school's 125th anniversary this year, making him the ideal speaker for the April 28 commencement ceremonies.

"His southern Utah roots and dedication to education and learning are timely as we wrap up our 125th anniversary year," SUU President Mindy Benson said in a written statement. "His address will offer inspiration to our graduates to embrace lifelong learning and give back to their communities as they leave SUU and continue to build their lives."

Ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1994, Holland had previously served as the ninth president of BYU in the 1980s and as the church commissioner of education. He was also president of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities, a board member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s President's Commission.

But Holland's defenses of the church's marriage doctrine has been a sore spot for the LGBTQ+ community, especially after that 2021 speech for which he was criticized over language many saw as inflammatory. His "musket fire" verbiage seemed a call to arms of sorts for many, and he at one point criticized a prior speech from a BYU valedictorian who came out as gay.

"If a student commandeers a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas that day in order to announce his personal sexual orientation, what might another speaker feel free to announce the next year until eventually anything goes," Holland said.

SUU officials responded to the pushback with the announcement it would hold listening sessions on Monday "as a way to continue this conversation."

"We’ve heard from so many of you and appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts and concerns regarding the commencement announcement," the university announced on its social media channels. "We are reading and seeing your messages and acknowledge all the feelings you are experiencing."

The school also opened an online form from which people could leave feedback about Holland's choice as commencement speaker.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: LGBTQ+ supporters oppose Jeffrey R. Holland as SUU speaker