Advertisement Controversy over gay-themed materials prompts response from USC Upstate chancellor Funding for next school year cut by state lawmakers Share Shares Copy Link Copy

After being at the center of a political controversy for several weeks because of gay-themed materials, the chancellor of the University of South Carolina-Upstate defended his university Sunday."It's just not normal, and then you glorify," state Sen. Mike Fair, R-Greenville, said. "It seems to me that the promotion at USC is a glorification of same-sex orientation."Earlier in April, Fair explained that state lawmakers learned that first-year writing students at Upstate were required to read "The Best of Rainbow Radio," a collection of stories shared on South Carolina's first gay radio show.Lawmakers then decided to cut $17,000 from the university's budget for the next school year.The controversy also led to the satirical show "How to be a Lesbian in 10 Days or Less" to be canceled this week during the university's Body of Knowledge Symposium.USC Upstate Chancellor Dr. Tom Moore released a statement Sunday in connection with the political saga:"Some have connected these happenings and allege an agenda to promote LGBTQ lifestyles at USC Upstate and a lack of balance in what we do on our campuses. In fact, these activities are but two of the thousands that occur on our campus every year, and it is their challenging and thought-provoking nature that helps us to achieve that desired balance," Moore said in the statement. "It's our charge to equip and empower students to live engaged, authentic lives and be responsible citizens. Each student has to define each of those things for him or herself. We can't do that if we exclude some part of the population. We must be a safe place for those who come to us."Read complete statement from chancellor