Arizona State University recently hosted a group discussion event on polyamory as part of its Project Humanities initiative, featuring people with experience in the practice of having multiple romantic or sexual partners.
“In Dispelling the Myths: Polyamory, we aim to uncover what polyamory means to those who actually identify as polyamorous,” the Aug. 27 event description stated.
“In a World Cafe workshop style, audience members will have the opportunity to participate in a series of small group discussions with lived experience experts on polyamory to learn more about what it is and what it is not,” it added.
According to ASU’s website, “Project Humanities facilitates conversations across diverse communities to build understanding through talking, listening, and connecting.”
Project Humanities did not respond to a request from The College Fix asking about the goal of the event, the “myths” that were dispelled, and the discussions that took place.
A 2021 journal article in the Archives of Sexual Behavior reported that “polyamorous relationships have become more visible in the media since the term ‘polyamory’ was coined in the early 1990s.”
“The use of the term showed more visible growth compared to other terms describing types of consensual non-monogamy (CNM), such as swinging.”
An ASU spokesperson, who asked not to be named and said he was speaking on behalf of the school, told The Fix that the university does not necessarily endorse the views that were shared at the event.
“As one of the largest, if not the largest, universities in the U.S., ASU students, faculty and staff organize well over 1,000 events per year. This means the university provides a platform for discussions that span the ideological spectrum, from conservative to progressive, and everything in-between,” the spokesperson stated in an email.
“The hosting of an event on campus does not in any way imply university endorsement, but it does mean the university embraces free speech as protected by the U.S. Constitution. As such, the university creates a space where ideas can be freely discussed, challenged and understood,” he stated.
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But the event drew criticism from one conservative Christian professor at ASU.
Owen Anderson, a professor of philosophy and religious studies, told The Fix the school would never host an event touting the benefits of monogamy and marriage, for example.
“You won’t find any similar events about Christian marriage and all of its benefits for children and society,” Anderson said via email.
In a blog post about the event on his Substack, Professor Anderson speculated that the “myths” that were dispelled include “the harmful health consequences myth, the immorality myth, the violates God’s law myth, the alienates participants from God myth, and many more.”
In his email to The Fix, Anderson raised additional concerns about biases against Christian perspectives at the university. He said ASU employee training requires faculty to “accept the LGBTQ+ sexual philosophy and its teaching that there are infinite genders.”
“There is no similar training about how to act respectfully toward Christian students.”
“When we do have conservatives like Dennis Prager or Charlie Kirk come to campus, the ASU Honors Professors meltdown and can’t handle the diversity of ideas,” he added.
Anderson refers to an incident in which dozens of ASU faculty members labeled Kirk and Prager “purveyors of hate” in an open letter. The professors protested an event featuring the two speakers, arguing their presence on campus promoted misinformation and bigotry, as previously reported by The College Fix.
Professor Anderson also shared a recent experience that he felt was indicative of discrimination against Christian faculty members.
He told The Fix that a dean approached him with a request to verify that his “Introduction to Christianity” course was being taught objectively as an academic exploration of Christianity, rather than as an attempt to convert students to the Christian faith.
“Needless to say, this is a purposely insulting comment meant to put me on notice that I am being watched,” he said.
He also said faculty members who identify as LGBTQ+ and teach gender studies courses are not subjected to similar demands for proof that they are not promoting their personal beliefs in the classroom.
MORE: Arizona legislature forms committee to probe free speech concerns at ASU
IMAGE: Arizona State University
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