News

Student leader in Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship ‘pushed’ to step down after disclosing his sexual orientation

Student Council passed legislation Tuesday denouncing CIOs’ discrimination against LGBTQ+ students

By Ava MacBlane
November 28, 2020

Third-year College student Alex Briegel wrote an open letter to the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship at the University after they pressured him to step down from his leadership position, citing disagreement in religious beliefs after Briegel told them he was in a relationship with another man. ... Briegel posted the letter to Reddit on Nov. 19 where it has since garnered over 150 comments from people who both echo and contradict Briegel’s experiences in Chi Alpha.

“I disclosed to Chi Alpha that in early 2020 I had a boyfriend,” Briegel wrote in the letter. “XA wanted me to step down as a leader because they claimed my views and actions clearly contradict Bible teaching.” ... Briegel joined Chi Alpha in his first year and by his second year was leading a small group of students, called a Core Group, in weekly Bible studies and individual meetings.

“[Second year] was a difficult time … I really came to realize that I was gay, and by that time I was already beginning the process of becoming a leader in [Chi Alpha],” Briegel said in an interview with The Cavalier Daily. ... In October, Briegel said that leadership in Chi Alpha approached him privately and “pushed” him to step down as a leader in the Core Group when he told them he had a boyfriend. Briegel believes this action stemmed from his sexual orientation, and felt “distraught” by the conversation he had with Chi Alpha.

“[Chi Alpha] tried to frame this as an issue of trust or vulnerability, saying things like ‘Oh, we didn’t know you had a boyfriend, so there's been a breach of trust,’” Briegel said. “I don’t really think it’s about trust … if I had a girlfriend, it wouldn’t be the same issue.” ... After the conversation, Briegel ultimately chose to leave Chi Alpha completely, feeling as though they would never see him “as an equal brother of Christ” because of his sexual orientation. ... In an email to The Cavalier Daily, Chi Alpha expressed “regret” for Briegel’s decision to leave the organization.

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