*That I happen to know.
Dear ,
Today I learned that Chapman Law Professor John C. Eastman is the new president of the National Organization for Marriage, a group dedicated to preserving the legal and social inequities currently facing LGBT Americans. As a Chapman Alumnus, I am disappointed and frustrated by this development.
I respect Dr. Eastman’s right to affiliate with NOM as well as his personal attitude toward marriage equality. Our university hosts a stunning diversity of social and legal viewpoints. Every community member has the right to express their personal convictions; I am emailing you to articulate mine. It’s my belief that this development reflects poorly on Chapman University. The image and prestige of our community will suffer.
I am grateful that Chapman was, almost without exception, a wonderful place for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender students to study. You have cultivated a welcoming and tolerant environment that enriches the school’s community— those “citizens of the world”— appreciative of social justice and its immutable importance. To many, Chapman is a locus of identity, of personal cultivation, and pride. We do not want our University’s name pegged to the National Organization for Marriage, news articles splaying apart their tenets, or shamed by groups Chapman should embrace and support. This is a small school with a fast-forming image and persona— how will this color Chapman’s rise to prominence? Do we want to be misperceived as a bigoted and close-minded community?
I can’t let this go unchallenged. This is an issue the Chapman community (and the public) needs to know about. I have contacted reporters at the OC Register, a group of prominent gay rights blogs and activists, as well as the Human Rights Campaign, Orange County Youth Center, and KABC7 News. Chapman should assert itself as a leader in social justice and equality. It’s the university’s job to steward its image and affiliations— thousands of alumni are invested in the university’s future. Take a stand.
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