The Underground Unicorn

Brave Commons & the Subversion of Christian Academia

Background:

In 2011, Michael Vazquez transferred into Utah's Weber State University as a junior. Early on, he was invited to an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship meeting, and IVCF became like family to him. A rift emerged when he learned that IVCF was not LGBTQ-affirming (Michael identifies as gay), but he stayed with the campus ministry through graduation and beyond. Meanwhile, he also read queer-affirming takes on Christianity.

In 2016, he enrolled in grad school at Western Theological Seminary in Michigan. By this time, he'd left IVCF and fully embraced homosexuality. From WTS, he sought out queer students at conservative Christian schools in the Midwest, including Wheaton, Hope, and Calvin...