(RNS) — The women’s soccer coach at a Christian university near Pittsburgh was fired last month after she posted to Instagram two messages affirming the value of queer people.
Kelsey Morrison was escorted off the campus of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, on June 2. She identifies as gay but remains celibate in keeping with the school’s code, which forbids sex outside of heterosexual marriage.
In early April, she posted two messages to her Instagram page: “Queer people offer precious gifts to the church: Don’t miss out” and “Jesus is radically inclusive.”
Since her firing, an assistant women’s soccer coach, Dave Symmonds, resigned in protest.
Geneva College, which enrolls 1,180 students, is affiliated with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, a small evangelical denomination with about 7,000 members.
Like hundreds of U.S. Catholic and Protestant universities, it forbids sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman, both among students and faculty. In recent years, several evangelical schools have publicly enforced rules prohibiting students from identifying as LGBTQ or advocating for such identities and explicitly asked faculty to reaffirm their adherence to traditional Christian teachings.
At Geneva, faculty must sign a “standards of conduct” statement every year stating, “We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, cohabitation, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, attempts to alter one’s sex, bestiality, incest, or use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God.”
Former Geneva College soccer coach Kelsey Morrison. Photo courtesy of Morrison
Morrison, 26, was hired as head coach for women’s soccer two years ago. She did not disclose her sexual orientation when she was hired because she was committed to celibacy, what is sometimes known in evangelical circles as “Side B” — Christians who identify as LGBTQ but remain celibate because they hold a traditional view of sexuality. She first told her story to David Gushee, who wrote about her at Baptist News Global.
In April, Morrison posted two photographed quotes from a publication on Instagram that affirmed the worth of queer people, without identifying herself as such or adding a personal comment.
“I am rather passionate about the value of LGBTQ people,” Morrison told Religion News Service. “It was really kind of a personal journey and statement for me as well to know that my unique experiences could be valuable to someone who needs that.”
Morrison said she grew up in a Christian family; attended the University of Valley Forge, a Christian school north of Philadelphia; and is an active member of a nondenominational church.
Last year, when a soccer player approached her to ask if she was gay, Morrison acknowledged she was but said she was not pursuing romantic relationships. She then told her boss, the director of athletics, about the conversation and reassured him she was able to uphold Geneva’s standards. He called her the next day to tell her that her position was secure.
Former Geneva College head coach Kelsey Morrison and former assistant coach Dave Symmonds. Symmonds resigned from his position as assistant coach in protest of the firing of Morrison. Photo courtesy of Morrison
