The prayer meeting was packed, and I knew that prayers for myself, my team, and, most importantly, for the church and the LGBTQ+ community in Berkeley truly sustained me that night.” The lead chair of Unity in Christ (a para-fellowship organization) and leaders of multiple ministries in Berkeley called for a prayer meeting on November 7th during the protests. She says, “The Christian community here has truly rallied together ever since word spread about my abstention on October 31st. They must also develop a strong walk with God and connections with other believers.Ĭhow says the Christian community is close-knit and supportive. The fact that Berkeley is so radically liberal means that Christian students are forced to wrestle with their faith and their world view – to know what they believe and why. Isabella Chow’s Gracious ResponseĬhow’s response to the anger and hostility has been consistently kind and gracious. While a few students spoke in her support, dozens more took the mike and harangued her – and her Christian faith – for almost three hours. At the Senate meeting the next week, regular business was quickly attended to so that students could respond to Chow’s vote. Opponents called her a “transphobic bigot” – and much worse. She was cursed and denounced on social media. The QARC started a petition demanding her resignation. For me, to love another person does not mean that I silently concur when, at the bottom of my heart, I do not believe that your choices are right or the best for you as an individual.Įven before the vote, knowing the stand she would take, her university political party expelled her from their organization. I believe that God created male and female at the beginning of time, and designed sex for marriage between one man and one woman. As a Christian, I personally do believe that certain acts and lifestyles conflict with what is good, right, and true. That said, I cannot vote for this bill without compromising my values and my responsibility to the community that elected me to represent them. In God’s eyes and therefore my own, everyone of you here today and in the LGBTQ+ community as a whole is significant, valid, wanted, and loved – even if and when our views differ. My God is one who assigns immeasurable value to and desires to love each and every human being. I certainly acknowledge any pain and experiences of individuals in this room who have gone through what no human being should ever go through. I have said, and will always say, that discrimination against or harassment of any person or people group is never, ever okay. So she abstained from the vote and read statement explaining her decision. It also called on the university’s administration to “publicly reinforce their support of transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming students.”Įvery other ASUC senator voted for the resolution, but Chow believed doing so would violate her beliefs. The measure opposed the Department of Health and Human Services for restoring the legal definition of “sex” in the Title IX statute to mean biological sex – either male or female. The ASUC Senate was voting on a resolution supported by the school’s Queer Student Union and Queer Alliance Resource Center (QARC). Isabella Chow’s Courageous Stand for TruthĬhow is a Senator in the Associated Students at University of California – Berkeley (ASUC). Here’s a brief recap of her story, her response to what’s happened and some important lessons for believers. Her story’s an important one, as she took a courageous stand and has stood strong despite widespread attacks. As a result, she’s come under fire from LGBT-identified activists and their allies. Isabella Chow is the Christian student from University of California-Berkeley who’s been in the news because she read a statement explaining her biblically-based views on sexuality and marriage.
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