CEDAR CITY, Utah, March 17, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Thousands have signed an online petition to remove LDS Church leader Jeffery R. Holland as the 2023 Southern Utah University commencement speaker because he has “openly opposed” the LGBTQ+ community.
Holland, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints‘ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was announced Thursday as the keynote speaker for SUU’s commencement ceremony April 28.
By Friday morning, thousands had signed the change.org petition calling for Holland’s removal from the commencement program, citing an August 2021 speech in which he challenged BYU faculty to defend church doctrine with “musket fire.”
“Jeffery R. Holland is a leader in the LDS church that has openly opposed LGBTQ+ individuals by calling for ‘musket fire’ toward the community,” the online petition states. “He has further disregarded the achievements of LGBTQ+ individuals within his own community and opposed the recent statements of the LDS church in regard to accepting LGBTQ+ individuals.
“Including Holland in the Commencement proceedings of SUU would fail to serve the student body, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community and students who do not prescribe to the religious teachings of the LDS church.”
The online petition also serves as proof to “SUU’s upper administration” that the student body and SUU community “stand for the rights of LGBTQ+ and students who do not prescribe to the religious teachings of the LDS church,” the post states.
More than 5,700 people had signed the online petition as off 11 a.m. Friday. Comments from signees include:
- “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, this makes me question what SUU is really about. No student should feel uncomfortable or disrespected. This is not ok, we are better than this.”
- “I want all of my students to feel welcome and safe on SUU’s campus, especially during an important and celebratory milestone in their lives.”
- “I deserve to graduate in peace knowing I am supported by my university. They can plug their Q Centers, diversity quotas, and pride flags. But until the school itself stands up for their queer students, it means nothing.”
Holland is a St. George native and former educator who served as the ninth president of Brigham Young University, church commissioner of education, and dean of the College of Religious Education at BYU.
“We are delighted to welcome Elder Holland as our commencement speaker this year,” SUU President Mindy Benson said in a news release Thursday. “His southern Utah roots and dedication to education and learning are timely as we wrap up our 125th anniversary year. His address will offer inspiration to our graduates to embrace lifelong learning and give back to their communities as they leave SUU and continue to build their lives.”
This man and his old views of the world and forcing his own beliefs on young graduates is a failure by SUU to recognize they must rise above these old men and their terrible leadership.
I don’t mind different viewpoints, but his come from a foundation based on bigotry and deceit.
This hateful man should not be allowed to give any type of speech at SUU and the person who booked him should apply to BYU. Protect SUU students and the LGBTQ+. Using Hollands words Musket Fire. Words are like bullets once you fire them off you can’t take them back.
Love Elder Holland, so grateful for the guidance and inspiring words in such a wicked time in our world today. The worlds way will never be gods way.
It is an honor to have a man with such high educational accomplishments and a good moral mindset speak. It is sad, those that are claiming to feel discriminated against, are the ones actually doing the harm. Jeffrey R. Holland is an apostle of the Lord. He is absolutely right. More need to speak up and stand for what is truly right. The guilty take the truth to be hard. Those that signed the petition don’t want to accept that they are in the wrong, and instead, are trying to cancel the right.
I love Elder Holland! I’m so grateful for his guidance in this wicked world. The world is changing for the worst. This is getting so redicuolus and out of hand. Elder Holland is a great example and appreciate all he does for us.
Elder Holland is a gift and an apostle from God. He has been blessed with keys to share truth and light to anyone and everyone. His last talk at General Conference October 2022 stated that “Suicide is NOT the answer”. Someone needed to hear that. I have no doubt he would have something some SUU graduate would need to hear before they journey onto the next chapter called life. Such a bummer they started a petition to not have him come. Shame.
Anyone that thinks Elder Holland is hateful knows nothing about the man.
Amen! If they watched any of his talks they would understand.
You know nothing about the people opposed to him coming. Perhaps they watched his BBC interview, listened to his talk claiming missionaries that come home early are pitiful, saw he committed tax fraud, and listened to his musket fire talk.
This is a very true statement.
Elder Holland is a respected leader who loves the Lord and mankind. I think we could all benefit from a bit more tolerance including the students. My hope is that no one who is petitioning will ever have their past words or behaviors used against them. I think if he who is without sin cast the first stone. I think he will deliver an inspiring speech design to send the graduates off into the world with confidence and love.
I am a former graduate of College of Southern Utah – Class of 1970. As an alumnus of the university, I have been grievously disappointed by some of the things I have read about things happening in Southern Utah and significantly with the University itself.
Most recently, news that Jeffery R Holland is to be the speaker at the graduation ceremony this spring. I was most thankful to attend College of Southern Utah in the late 1960’s. It was small, and although most of the student body, like myself, were LDS, it was nevertheless a state school, not a religious institution.
I had always dreamed to attend BYU, but it was not until many years later that I realized how BLESSED I was to never attend that University. During the time I was at the College of Southern Utah, Brigham Young University was administering reparative therapy. As a young returned missionary, I was only beginning to understand my homosexuality.
Since then, I have met many former BYU students from that era, who unlike me, were required to go through the torturous experience of reparative therapy that was being given at BYU while I, totally unaware, never had to endure such torture. Those who I have met who endured such treatment have never totally recovered. Some took their lives.
I was and always will be thankful, that Southern Utah University is NOT a church school, but it is a state school. While I, as a gay man, still actively attend church each Sunday, I do not believe a graduation ceremony, where ALL Southern Utah State graduating students would like to attend, is the place for an openly anti-gay apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be speaking. Elder Holland has made his stance quite
clear in recent talks he has given.
If President Holland had been invited to speak at a special conference where all students were invited, that would have certainly been an opportunity for all who wished to attend to be present. It is very sad that the administration of Southern Utah State University seems to NOT UNDERSTAND the huge commitment to their staff and student body to separate state and D. This is a protection, as a state school, that should be insured!
I am certain that Elder Holland will understand the significance of the difference between his religious calling, and where it is appropriate for him to speak. Most certainly it is NOT appropriate for him to speak at your graduation ceremony.
The new gay is ok theory is wrong and it always has been against Gods laws calling it unseemly which it is. The majority of people don’t believe all of this gay liberal junk. The majority of people are sick and tired of having the “gay’community shoved down our throats. Being gay is not an issue to straight people and I’m sick of hearing about it!!!!!
I propose a compromise.
Holland still speaks at SUU.
Valerie Larabee speaks at the commencement for BYU.
Win, Win.
I have heard him speak. Elder Holland sticks up for and supports the under dogs, those if us with depression and anxiety, those with mental disorders. He cares and loves everyone. Gay or straight and everyone in between. Yes, he is not perfect and yes he has his personal beliefs are his own and he would be a better choice than other, like any rich, anti-caring, person that speaks just to get attention. I wish I could be there.