Bill proposes letting Aggies opt out of helping to fund GLBT Resource Center
The Texas A&M Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Resource Center could see its funding cut under a student-led proposal.
The Student Senate's "GLBT Funding Opt-Out Bill," is up for a vote on Wednesday. It would allow Aggies with religious objections to opt out of the portion of their student fee and tuition money that goes toward the center. The wording of the bill would let the students pocket the money, but it's unclear how much that could be.
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According to a university spokesman, the center receives $100,000 in university funding. All of the money came from the student's university advancement fee, with the exception of $13,500 in university monies for a graduate assistant position.
Opponents of the bill said it is discriminatory and will add to the misconception that A&M is not an accepting place. Proponents argue the bill adds rights for religious persons.
More at http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/article_72ffccd6-ebec-57e3-a72a-1705138a636f.html
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Come to that, shouldn't every student get to vote on where their money will go? I mean, how are they going to make this legally stick? You can't single out the GLBT center if you're talking about letting students vote where their money goes according to their religious convictions. I'm sure plenty of religious students object to other ways in which their tuition is spent, and if this passes, they should be able to point to it and say, "I have a religious objection to paying for "x" and if students get to opt out of paying for GLBT center because of their religious convictions, then I should get the same right to opt out of paying for "x"."
