In the aftermath of two quasi-rejected applications, YU appointed a committee, headed by then Vice-President of the university, Josh Joseph, to look into the idea of an LGBTQ club. On September 3rd 2020, a letter was released which included nods to greater LGBTQ inclusion, but claimed that having a club under university auspices would cloud the Torah’s nuanced message.

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Student Response

In the aftermath of the “We, Too, Are YU” protest, and in conjunction with concurrent administrative discussions, YUPA was launched as an unofficial club. A few times YUPA applied to be recognized as a club under the name “YU Alliance.” The general assembly elected not to vote on the matter, leaving it to the administration. It is alleged in YUPA’s lawsuit that the administration instructed the GA to do this. The case was brought to the Beren Student Council, due to their constitution having a non-discrimination clause, but they refrained from taking a position. 

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Beren Lawsuit

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Before YUPA was founded, there was the controversy about an LGBTQ club in Cardozo in the 90’s. More recently, there have been several clubs founded which made part of their mission to provide a safe place for queer students, including the Tolerance Club, Diversity Club, and Jewish Activism Club.

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