OneWheaton

OneWheaton claims that its purpose is to provide support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students and alumni at Wheaton and other colleges. Its goal is not to change Wheaton College's policies prohibiting homosexual acts or to stand against those people who choose lifelong celibacy as their personal path of reconciling their faith and sexuality. The group does not propose any theological grounds or defense of its position as it is a diverse group consisting of people who hold many different perspectives. However, the group is unified by their shared belief that the classification of homosexuality as "sinful" is not only incorrect, but damaging.{{cite web |url=http://www.onewheaton.com/img/OneWheaton_MediaRelease_042911_Expanded.pdf |title=Introducing OneWheaton |date=April 29, 2011 |publisher=OneWheaton |access-date=July 22, 2021}} OneWheaton notes on its website that the group is not "affiliated or condoned by Wheaton College".

OneWheaton has over 700 members, including alumni who are allies in support of their mission as well as alumni who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. Supporters range from those who graduated in 1954 to the present.

The founding board members of OneWheaton were: Hank Chen,{{cite web |url=https://windycitytimes.com/m/APPredirect.php?AID=34534 |title=A Gay Group's Homehoming in Wheaton |last=Maxwell |first=Carrie |date=November 2, 2011 |website=Windy City Times |access-date=July 22, 2021}} Jessica Friesen, Adam Hibma, Sue Nordlof, Catherine Latimer, Frances Motiwalla, Susan Schmalzbauer, Costa Tsiatsos, José Vilanova, Ruth Wardschenk, Hillary Waters, Lora Wiens, and Kristin Winn.

OneWheaton first organized in response to Wheaton College's chapel series titled "Sexuality and Wholeness"{{cite web|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/wheaton-college-alumni-group-says-being-gay-is-not-a-sin-50099/print.html |title=Print News - Wheaton College Alumni Group Says Being Gay Is Not a Sin |date=5 May 2011 |publisher=Christianpost.com |accessdate=2012-10-18}}—which included a message stating that following Jesus and living in a same-sex relationship are incompatible goals[http://www.wheaton.edu/wetn/flash-chapel/chap10-11/110401Hill.html]{{dead link|date=October 2012}}—and the seminar "Same-Sex Marriage Affects Everyone"—which hypothesized that allowing same-sex marriage would lead to families abandoning their children, men having test tube babies for the purpose of molesting them, and ultimately, the end of "what was once a great civilization".{{cite web|url=http://ruthinstitute.libsyn.com/same-sex-marriage-affects-everyone |title=Ruth Institute Podcast |publisher=Ruthinstitute.libsyn.com |date= |accessdate=2012-10-18}}

On April 29, 2011, members of the group distributed a letter to students on campus sharing their opinion that "sexual identity is not a tragic sign of the sinful nature of the world" and affirming "the full humanity and dignity of every human being regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity".{{cite web|url=http://www.onewheaton.com |title=A Community of LGBTQs and Allies of Wheaton College, Illinois |publisher=OneWheaton |date= |accessdate=2012-10-18}} That same day, Wheaton College President Philip Ryken responded to the letter by sending an internal email to the students, faculty, and staff of the college. The email indicated that the administrations sees "each member of the human family as created in the image of God himself" but that "scripture condemns...homosexual behavior and all other sexual relations outside the bounds of marriage between a man and woman".{{cite web |url=http://www.wheaton.edu/news/releases/10-11_releases/04.29.11_OneWheatonResponse.html |title=Message from President Ryken Regarding OneWheaton |date=May 11, 2011 |website=Wheaton College |access-date=July 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515082135/http://www.wheaton.edu/news/releases/10-11_releases/04.29.11_OneWheatonResponse.html |archive-date=May 15, 2011}} Ryken's response references the Community Covenant, which stipulates that homosexual behavior is not allowed at the school.{{cite web |author=–President Philip Ryken |url=http://www.wheaton.edu/welcome/aboutus_community.html |title=Community Covenant | Wheaton |publisher=Wheaton.edu |accessdate=2012-10-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606140827/http://www.wheaton.edu/welcome/aboutus_community.html |archivedate=2011-06-06 }}

The group and its members became the subject of the documentary Queers in the Kingdom: Let Your Light Shine by filmmaker and Wheaton College alumnus Markie Hancock.{{Cite web | url=https://www.thewhitworthian.news/sept2014may2015/film-maker-markie-hancock-explores-the-role-of-queers-in-the-kingdom-on-college-campuses |title = Film maker Markie Hancock explores the role of 'Queers in the Kingdom,' on college campuses}} The documentary was released in 2014 and screened nationally at film festivals and college campuses.

Also in 2015, OneWheaton received a $5000 grant from the Crosswicks Foundation, which was founded by the late Madeleine L'Engle and her husband, Hugh Franklin.{{cite news |last=Merritt |first=Jonathan |title=Madeleine L’Engle’s foundation awards grant to LGBT group at Wheaton College |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/madeleine-lengles-foundation-awards-grant-to-lgbt-group-at-wheaton-college/2015/06/05/f2c2a340-0bba-11e5-951e-8e15090d64ae_story.html |work=The Washington Post |date=5 June 2015}}

According to OneWheaton spokesperson Kristin Winn, the group was "floored by the [positive] response", with their website crashing on the second day of its launch.{{cite web|last=Eriksen |first=Charlotte |url=http://wheaton.patch.com/articles/alumni-organization-supporting-gay-students-receives-support |title=Alumni Organization Supporting Gay Students Receives Support - Wheaton, IL Patch |publisher=Wheaton.patch.com |date=2011-05-13 |accessdate=2012-10-18}} Mike Clawson, Christian contributor for the website "The Friendly Atheist" and an alumnus of Wheaton College, voiced his support for the group's efforts, noting that the group "has already succeeded in letting current LGBTQ students there know that they are not alone".{{cite web |url=http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/04/29/support-finally-for-gays-at-the-harvard-of-christian-colleges/ |title=Support (Finally!) for Gays at the "Harvard" of Christian Colleges |publisher= |date=2011-04-29 |accessdate=2012-10-18}} The blog Queerty expressed its support for the students, equating President Ryken's emailed letter to students as supporting the tormenting or bullying of human beings.{{cite web|url=http://www.queerty.com/gay-alums-forced-to-beg-evangelical-college-to-treat-gay-students-with-dignity-respect-and-equality-20110511/ |title=Gay Alums Forced to Beg Evangelical College to Treat Gay Students with Dignity, Respect and Equality / Queerty |publisher=Queerty.com |date=2011-05-11 |accessdate=2012-10-18}}

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Category:Wheaton College (Illinois)

Category:LGBTQ rights in the United States