{"id":6804,"date":"2026-04-22T03:16:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T21:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/a-tpusa-tour-stop-triggered-a-pro-lgbtq-event-at-baylor-then-came-the-baptist-blowback\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T03:16:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T21:46:35","slug":"a-tpusa-tour-stop-triggered-a-pro-lgbtq-event-at-baylor-then-came-the-baptist-blowback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/a-tpusa-tour-stop-triggered-a-pro-lgbtq-event-at-baylor-then-came-the-baptist-blowback\/","title":{"rendered":"A TPUSA tour stop triggered a pro-LGBTQ event at Baylor. Then came the Baptist blowback."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p><iframe title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_NKDzNi0jXlP?client=wp&amp;client_version=2.7.1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"136px\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>(RNS) \u2014 When the conservative political group Turning Point USA scheduled a campus tour stop at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, for Wednesday (April 22), organizers <a href=\"https:\/\/events2022.tpusa.com\/events\/this-is-the-turning-point-tour-at-baylor-university?_gl=1*9v9398*_gcl_au*MTg0NzI0Nzc4NC4xNzc2NzI3NjU4*_ga*MTA3NzcxODM0MS4xNzc2NzI3NjU4*_ga_7SZC1SVE72*czE3NzY3Mjc2NTckbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY3Mjg5NDYkajE0JGwwJGgw&amp;pk_vid=6fb852f88be1f075177677837167336a\">advertised<\/a> it as \u201ca chance to honor Charlie\u2019s mission\u201d and as a venue for enacting free speech. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But though free speech was part of their program, TPUSA, which was led by activist Charlie Kirk until his assassination in September, probably didn\u2019t expect to be the catalyst for an event welcoming LGBTQ activists to speak at the Christian university. The competing event, called \u201cAll Are Neighbors,\u201d is the result of grassroots activism from progressive student leaders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re (TPUSA) pushing a message that is aligned with Christian nationalism,\u201d said J.W. LaStrape, president of Baylor\u2019s College Democrats chapter. \u201cWe\u2019re going to push back on it by celebrating the marginalized folks that the Christian nationalist vision excludes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Baylor has maintained that hosting the duel events is part of its commitment to open discussion and said the events will be aligned with institutional policies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHistorically, Baylor has opened its doors to a wide range of student-invited speakers with differing viewpoints on theology, politics, research and many other subjects,\u201d a spokesperson told RNS in a statement, adding that Baylor doesn\u2019t \u201cinstitutionally endorse\u201d the views of event speakers.<\/p>\n<p>But the events have generated controversy among stakeholders, including the Baptist General Convention of Texas, a group of Texas churches that announced Friday they would be reviewing their historic relationship with the university. Event participants told RNS the tensions surrounding the events are emblematic of larger religious and political trends.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DXK170jif-M\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s two very different visions of the future, and (of) what is possible, and the kind of America, as well as college campuses that we want,\u201d said the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, a Baptist minister and president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance who is speaking at the \u201cAll Are Neighbors\u201d event.<\/p>\n<p>The Baylor stop on the \u201cThis Is the Turning Point\u201d tour was first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DVy1cIukV6F\/?img_index=1\">advertised<\/a> as featuring border czar Tom Homan, Donald Trump Jr. and commentator Benny Johnson; as of Tuesday, however, the <a href=\"https:\/\/events2022.tpusa.com\/events\/this-is-the-turning-point-tour-at-baylor-university?_gl=1*9v9398*_gcl_au*MTg0NzI0Nzc4NC4xNzc2NzI3NjU4*_ga*MTA3NzcxODM0MS4xNzc2NzI3NjU4*_ga_7SZC1SVE72*czE3NzY3Mjc2NTckbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY3Mjg5NDYkajE0JGwwJGgw&amp;pk_vid=6fb852f88be1f075177677837167336a\">tour website lists<\/a> Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in lieu of Trump Jr. Weeks ahead of the event, conservative students <a href=\"https:\/\/baylorlariat.com\/2026\/03\/19\/baylor-tpusa-tour-ignites-controversy-on-campus\/\">told the student paper<\/a> they were grateful to have such influential speakers coming to campus. TPUSA Baylor President Peter Fernandez told The Baylor Lariat the event was about encouraging dialogue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing that Turning Point stands for, and nothing that Turning Point speaks about, is contradictory to Christian or university values,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/baylorlariat.com\/2026\/03\/19\/baylor-tpusa-tour-ignites-controversy-on-campus\/\">he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The organization is not explicitly Christian but has ramped up its faith efforts in recent years, expanding its footprint on <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2024\/11\/01\/charlie-kirks-tpusa-opens-a-new-front-in-spiritual-warfare-on-christian-campuses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Christian campuses<\/a> and recruiting pastors to be part of its brand. Students have <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2025\/09\/11\/how-charlie-kirk-drew-power-from-his-influence-with-young-christians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">praised TPUSA<\/a> for its on-the-ground support of student groups and for emboldening them to speak out on campuses they see as hostile to conservative views. The group frames itself as promoting free markets and limited government, but Kirk also earned criticism for his rhetoric about \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-rcCMg-h0qY\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-rcCMg-h0qY\">reclaiming the country for Christ<\/a>,\u201d for <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/charliekirk11\/status\/1944808792086208770\">describing<\/a> immigration without assimilation as \u201cinvasion\u201d and for saying a Bible verse about stoning gay people to death was \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/patriottakes\/status\/1800678317030564306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1800678317030564306%7Ctwgr%5E063dbc2479b97d1b2fe0c478962313136c3877f2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmeidasnews.com%2Fnews%2Ftrump-campaign-partner-charlie-kirk-called-being-gay-an-error-praised-stoning-to-death\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/x.com\/patriottakes\/status\/1800678317030564306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1800678317030564306%7Ctwgr%5E063dbc2479b97d1b2fe0c478962313136c3877f2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmeidasnews.com%2Fnews%2Ftrump-campaign-partner-charlie-kirk-called-being-gay-an-error-praised-stoning-to-death\">God\u2019s perfect law<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The event prompted pushback from some Baylor students, alumni and faculty. On social media, the TPUSA Baylor group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DXNQw2GjzUn\/?img_index=4\">posted photos<\/a> of event posters torn down. \u201chmm.. interesting that whose who claim to foster \u2018inclusivity,\u2019 seem to have their own version and we don\u2019t fit their mold,\u201d the caption said.<\/p>\n<p>One faculty member concerned about the event was Greg Garrett, the Carole Ann McDaniel Hanks Chair of Literature &amp; Culture at Baylor, who <a href=\"https:\/\/baptistnews.com\/article\/why-the-turning-point-baylor-rally-is-un-christian\/\">published an op-ed<\/a> in early April characterizing the TPUSA event as \u201cun-Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am more and more uncomfortable and impatient with Christianity that doesn\u2019t recognize the humanity of all of God\u2019s children,\u201d said Garrett, who is the sole Baylor faculty member on TPUSA\u2019s Professor Watchlist due to his public work on racial justice and LGBTQ inclusion. \u201cI hope that Turning Point has a good experience at Baylor, but also, I would hope that more of Baylor rubs off on Turning Point than vice versa,\u201d he told RNS.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DXZc1aKgApR\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>When Skye Perryman, a Baylor alumna and the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, delivered the Whitten Endowed Lecture at Baylor\u2019s religion department on March 24, she questioned whether the university would allow voices across the political spectrum to be heard. She told RNS Turning Point is an advocacy organization whose work on immigration she sees as \u201cin contrast with many of the values that underlie the Baptist and Christian faith, especially with respect to loving one\u2019s neighbor.\u201d If Baylor allowed TPUSA to advocate for its controversial views on campus, she asked, what about progressive Christians?<\/p>\n<p>For years, Baylor University, which <a href=\"chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/risk.web.baylor.edu\/public\/documents\/statement-human-sexuality\/view\">defines marriage<\/a> as between a man and a woman, did not allow LGBTQ student groups at the university. Its first LGBTQ student group was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasmonthly.com\/news-politics\/baylor-prism-lgbtq-students\/\">established in 2022<\/a>\u00a0but is not permitted to advocate for views contrary to Baylor\u2019s teaching on human sexuality. Last summer <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2025\/07\/10\/baylor-university-wins-then-rejects-grant-on-lgbtq-inclusion-in-churches\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Baylor celebrated, then rescinded,<\/a> a $643,401 grant awarded to fund research on the \u201cexclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As alumni and professors spoke publicly of their TPUSA-related concerns, student leaders of the Baylor chapters of College Democrats, NAACP, Students Demand Action, Hearts for the Homeless and Texas Rising began mobilizing to offer an alternative event. By April 9, Baylor had approved the \u201cAll Are Neighbors\u201d event, which will also occur on Wednesday and features LGBTQ Christian advocates, including Raushenbush and Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, who both identify as LGBTQ.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe call to love thy neighbor persists across our differences,\u201d Robinson told RNS in a statement. \u201cAs a queer Black Catholic woman, I carry the truth that the same God who made one of us made all of us \u2014 and that truth demands we build a future where everyone can live freely, openly and equally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Organizers framed the event as a way to celebrate marginalized voices, rather than an anti-TPUSA rally; a press release called the event the \u201cfirst time that students at Baylor have been permitted to host leading gay advocates on campus,\u201d though Baylor debated this characterization, telling RNS Christian LGBTQ author and Gay Christian Network founder Justin Lee gave a Baylor lecture in 2019. Still, the response from supporters and critics points to the event\u2019s significance. \u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2051121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 750px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2051121\" src=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/webRNS-BAYLOR-BAPTIST3-062317.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/webRNS-BAYLOR-BAPTIST3-062317.jpg 800w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/webRNS-BAYLOR-BAPTIST3-062317-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/webRNS-BAYLOR-BAPTIST3-062317-427x320.jpg 427w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/webRNS-BAYLOR-BAPTIST3-062317-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/webRNS-BAYLOR-BAPTIST3-062317-74x55.jpg 74w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/webRNS-BAYLOR-BAPTIST3-062317-215x161.jpg 215w, https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/webRNS-BAYLOR-BAPTIST3-062317-600x450.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text edd-enabled\"><span class=\"caption\">Baylor University in Waco, Texas. (Photo courtesy of Baylor University\/Matthew Minard)<\/span><span class=\"credit\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cDoes Baylor still know the difference between permitting speech and platforming ideas that undermine its professed Christian convictions? Between inviting inquiry and standing on orthodoxy?\u201d asked Christina Crenshaw, assistant professor at Arizona Christian and a former lecturer at Baylor, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CrenshawPhD\/status\/2043441838384669028\">on X<\/a>. \u201cIntellectual diversity is not a substitute for theological clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p>The Baptist General Convention of Texas, a state convention that\u2019s had <a href=\"https:\/\/news.web.baylor.edu\/news\/story\/2023\/bgct-baylor-joint-statement-special-relationship-agreement\">close ties<\/a> with Baylor since the university\u2019s founding in 1845, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasbaptists.org\/newsroom\/statement-regarding-baylor-university-all-are-neighbors-event?fbclid=IwY2xjawRGZJpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeUey7w_BzQOhIktKx_UAf4ezP3_bUGeNpWpKRumEkuAvPcD1ornSM_VT5fRo_aem_r8nAWxNMOGs-_9T-vh5MeA\">released a statement<\/a> on April 10 saying it was hearing \u201cstrong concerns\u201d about the \u201cAll Are Neighbors\u201d event. A week later, the convention, which <a href=\"https:\/\/boardofregents.web.baylor.edu\/regents\">nominates a quarter<\/a> of Baylor\u2019s board, announced it would review its relationship with the university.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs executive director, I agree that hosting speakers who are Christian, identify as gay, and practice LGBTQ+ advocacy at a university-approved event is inconsistent with the convention\u2019s long-standing views on biblical sexuality,\u201d BGCT Executive Director Julio Guarneri said in a letter to BGCT churches on Friday. \u201cIt is likely that the viewpoints to be shared at this event and others may not represent either BGCT\u2019s or Baylor\u2019s official positions and convention messengers have made it clear that the traditional view of biblical sexuality is a matter of fellowship and harmonious cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The BGCT, which <a href=\"https:\/\/baptistnews.com\/article\/bgct-executive-wants-another-study-of-relationship-to-baylor\/\">reportedly contributes<\/a> 0.001% of Baylor\u2019s $995.8 million annual budget, did not answer questions about whether the convention also had concerns about the TPUSA event.<\/p>\n<p>Perryman told RNS she hopes the \u201cAll Are Neighbors\u201d event will prompt Baylor to revisit its student group policies, which currently allow advocacy from groups like TPUSA but not from LGBTQ groups. But Baylor said \u201cthere are no discussions\u201d to change its policies, and LaStrape said the only specific \u201cask\u201d coming from student organizers was that the university agree to host their event \u2014 though he hopes it opens doors for similar events in the future.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n        <\/div>\n<p><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2026\/04\/21\/a-tpusa-tour-stop-triggered-a-pro-lgbtq-event-at-baylor-then-came-the-baptist-blowback\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(RNS) \u2014 When the conservative political group Turning Point USA scheduled a campus tour stop at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, for Wednesday (April 22), organizers advertised it as \u201ca chance to honor Charlie\u2019s mission\u201d and as a venue for enacting free speech. \u00a0 But though free speech was part of their program, TPUSA, which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6804\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}