YU Democrats Club loses official status after LGBTQ advocacy

“It seems like nothing less than retaliation for the LGBTQ march that was hosted,” march organizer Molly Meisels said.

By SAM SOKOL/JTA

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 04:56

A view of Yeshiva University (photo credit: SCALIGERA/ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA) — A view of Yeshiva University

(photo credit: SCALIGERA/ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA)

A student organization at Yeshiva University lost its official status after organizing a protest march calling for the establishment of a Gay-Straight Alliance Club and permission to host LGBTQ events on campus.

The College Democrats’ request to renew its status for the coming semester was rejected over last week’s march, which attracted about 100 people, and the group will be “barred from running events, hanging up fliers on campus and receiving funding from student activity fees,” according to the Commentator, the student newspaper at Modern Orthodoxy’s flagship institution.

The club had been warned of the move if it went ahead with the march, the Commentator reported.

“There are certain perks that come with being a YU-approved club on campus,” Student Union President Ariel Sacknovitz told the paper. “But those come with rules of having to be approved by the Student Council and needing Office of Student Life approval for speakers and events as well. By breaking those rules — even after being warned, and by opting out of [the rules] — then realistically, you don’t get the perks that come with it, such as the Student Council funding and the club approval.”

“It seems like nothing less than retaliation for the LGBTQ march that was hosted,” march organizer Molly Meisels said. “YU receives funding from Democratic politicians. I don’t think they would be too pleased to hear that Democratic voices are being suppressed at Yeshiva University.”

Meisels said there are two Republican groups on campus.

A Yeshiva University spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, the Commentator reported.