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PROVO -- Brigham Young University students who surveyed campus attitudes towards homosexuals say 42 percent of the students questioned believe same-sex oriented students should not be allowed in school, even if they obey its honor code, which prohibits homosexual behavior.
School policy allows same-sex oriented people who follow its guidelines of behavior.
``BYU has a general policy that any student who has a current ecclesiastical endorsement, good academic standing and is abiding by the honor code can attend the university,'' said Janet Scharman, dean of students. ``The Church (of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) sets policy for us.''
As part of a project for their English class, Sam Clayton, Dale Franklin and Melanie Dinger conducted the school-approved survey to 420 students in randomly selected classes on campus.
Clayton, a senior sociology major from Toppanish, Wash., said, ``It was not directed at changing any policies, just clarifying and publicizing already-existing policies.''
He feels the results show a substantial amount of intolerance and prejudice among students towards same-sex oriented people.
Clayton, who says he is gay, points to the 42 percent of students who are ignorant of or opposed to the school's policy. He also said that while 91 percent of those surveyed said they were familiar with the church's stance, only a third actually were.
Respondents had four choices to answer the question ``What statement do you think best describes the church's stand?''
Thirty-three percent chose ``Accepts in full fellowship homosexually oriented persons who live the Church's law of chastity.''
Forty-one percent chose ``Accepts homosexually oriented persons as long as they change their sexual orientation?''
Ten percent believe the LDS Church excommunicates homosexuals regardless of sexual activity, and 10 percent marked ``other.''
A 1991 directive from the...