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Written by admin
Feb 24, 2011
I am an openly gay adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School. I feel compelled to share with your readers that my experience at Marquette has been drastically different from the conclusion in your article that “LGBT faculty members … face a hostile atmosphere at Marquette.”
I have had nothing but support from the law school administration in both classes that I teach at the school, including a course entitled “Sexual Orientation and the Law.” I cannot speak for the faculty of the greater university nor would I equate my presence as an adjunct professor in the law school to the experience of a full-time faculty member in the larger university. Nevertheless, I do hope that we do not make broad generalizations about the entire Marquette campus and realize that there are schools and departments within the university that are supportive of LGBT faculty and students.
I have been teaching at Marquette Law School since 2003 and have never experienced anything but support, kindness and genuine interest in my classes. When I proposed the idea that the law school offer an objective course on sexual orientation and the law, the faculty, including some very conservative members, endorsed the idea.
I do not believe I am speaking out of turn when I say that the dean of the law school, Joseph Kearney, takes a conservative stance on the application of the law and social issues. Yet, he is also an educator and appreciates the value of creating a law school that truly benefits from an open dialogue of ideas within the context of the Jesuit traditions and beliefs.
We must not forget that Marquette is not a public university and religion does play a role in the discourse. My belief is that the Jesuit tradition of social justice and LGBT equality can and will co-exist at Marquette comfortably some day.
In my first semester of teaching “Sexual Orientation and the Law,” Rick Esenberg was teaching “Religion and the Law.” As your readers may be aware, Esenberg is quite conservative and a vocal opponent to same-sex marriage. Quite coincidentally, we were both speaking of same-sex marriage at the same time in our syllabi.
I suggested that we switch classes for 30 minutes and discuss the topic from our own point of reference. He wholeheartedly accepted the offer and spoke to my students about the arguments against same-sex marriage while I spoke to his students about the arguments in favor of same-sex marriage.
I don’t know if we changed anyone’s opinion on the matter but, more importantly, it demonstrated how faculty with differing opinions of LGBT issues can work collaboratively for the benefit of the students. As a student, I would abhor the idea of attending a university that simply regurgitated my own beliefs and didn’t allow for a free forum of ideas.
My exercise with Esenberg, the support of the sexual orientation and law course from the law school administration and my very presence as an out adjunct professor is a testament to Marquette Law School’s commitment to academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas.
Christopher Krimmer, adjunct professor of law, Marquette University
