Edward Delgado of Anchorage is offering 14 lectures this week, promoted by Campus Bible Ministries as an example of someone who left a gay lifestyle and how others can do the same.
Some students and faculty have been offended by the visit, particularly with a prominently displayed banner that says, "Gay? Lonely? Confused?"
The UAF Gay Straight Alliance and others have asked for it be taken down, but Chancellor Brian Rogers said he wouldn't order it removed. He mentioned the controversy during his convocation speech this week, saying he wants an inclusive campus, but freedom of speech is a core campus value.
"The university community must be one where we protect the freedom to speak, even when we find the speech disagreeable," Rogers said.
Karl W. Sapp, the events coordinator for Campus Bible Ministries, said there is no intent to be offensive. He noted that Delgado's lectures have been polite and respectful.
"We're not here to bash, we're not here to blame, we're not here to bruise," Sapp said. "We're here to help."
Four Gay Straight Alliance members silently protested outside Delgado's afternoon lecture on Wednesday. Chapter president Jessica Angelette said they plan to pass out literature they say debunks the claim that sexual orientation is a chosen lifestyle and causes harmful behavior.
Delgado speaks about his life as a gay teenager in Southern California, when he'd had 10 male sex partners by age 19. He said a suggestion by a friend to read the New Testament led to a religious awakening, which has allowed him to live happily as a straight man. He is a deacon at a Baptist church, has been married to a woman for 16 years and has two sons.
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