Baylor University is saying “no, ma’am” to a hefty $643,000 grant intended to support LGBTQ and women’s inclusion in church spaces — less than two weeks after accepting it. The private Baptist school, located in Waco, Texas, announced Wednesday that it would return the funds awarded by the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation.
In a letter to the campus community, Baylor President Linda Livingstone claimed the move was “the appropriate course of action” and framed it as being in the school’s best interest. While she made the usual overtures about “loving and caring” for LGBTQIA+ students, she quickly drew a line, stating that the research activities associated with the grant veered into “advocacy for perspectives on human sexuality” that conflict with Baylor’s official policies.
Those policies are crystal clear: the university’s Statement on Human Sexuality upholds heterosexual marriage as the biblical standard and regards any deviation — whether premarital sex or same-sex relationships — as temptation. So, naturally, anything promoting LGBTQ inclusion in faith communities raised conservative eyebrows.
The rescinded grant, initially awarded to Baylor’s Center for Church and Community Impact, was intended to study the exclusion of women and LGBTQIA+ people from church leadership and community life, aiming to foster change through “institutional courage.” Sounds like divine work to many — but not, apparently, to Baylor’s administration.
What makes this even more eyebrow-raising is that the university itself had recently touted the award in a June 30 press release (now conveniently deleted), describing the grant’s mission as one to “nurture inclusion and belonging in the church.” But after the internal soul-searching — or donor backlash — the school’s theology won the day.
The Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which supports faith-based progressive initiatives, didn’t mince words. In a blistering statement, the foundation called Baylor’s move a disservice not just to its own students and faculty, but to the wider Christian community. “Our hearts break for the professors, research fellows, and, especially, the students who will receive this message from Baylor, loud and clear,” the foundation stated.
Let’s talk impact. For LGBTQ students at Baylor — already navigating a campus climate shaped by conservative Christian norms — this U-turn sends a brutal message: that their stories and struggles don’t merit institutional research, let alone support. This isn’t just about dollars and cents; it’s about dignity and representation.
In rejecting the grant, Baylor has distanced itself from a rare opportunity to reconcile faith and inclusivity. And in doing so, it’s spotlighted a deeper cultural rift within American Christianity — one where love and acceptance often come with asterisks.
For LGBTQ advocates in religious spaces, the fight continues. Because if Baylor won’t open the church doors, others just might.