Baylor University Returns $643K Grant for LGBTQ+ Church Inclusion Project After Backlash
WACO, July 10, 2025 — Baylor University has decided to rescind its acceptance of a $643,401 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation originally intended to support research on LGBTQ+ and women’s inclusion in church settings. President Linda Livingstone confirmed that Dean Jon Singletary and Dr. Gaynor Yancey “voluntarily offered” to return the funds, expressing concern that the grant’s advocacy elements conflicted with Baylor’s Statement on Human Sexuality.
The project—“Courage from the Margins”—aimed to understand how LGBTQ+ individuals experience exclusion in congregations and to develop resources for trauma-informed, inclusive practices. Upon launch June 30, it faced immediate pressure from conservative Baptist circles, prompting the reversal just nine days later. In response, the Foundation said it was “deeply saddened by Baylor’s decision” and suggested it was influenced by “a pressure campaign from groups with a political agenda”.
While President Livingstone affirmed that the university still values academic freedom and is “committed to providing a loving and caring community for all—including our LGBTQIA+ students,” she maintained that the advocacy components were “inconsistent with Baylor’s institutional policies”. Critics argue this decision reflects ongoing tensions at faith-based universities between institutional doctrine and inclusive academic inquiry.
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