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Spring Arbor University

(File | MLive.com)

Two Michigan colleges have been recognized among 102 of the worst campuses for LBGT youth in the country by a top advocacy group.

North Carolina-based Campus Pride released its rankings featuring Andrews University and Spring Arbor University Monday morning, Aug. 29. Campus Pride is considered one of the nation's top advocacy groups for LBGT students on campuses.

The full list can be found by clicking here.

With each detailed ranking, the list compiles each school's religious affiliations and a rundown of its "established history of anti-LGBT discrimination."

Spring Arbor University, located about 10 miles southwest of Jackson, qualified for the list due to its Title IX exemption, according to the list. The Free Methodist-affiliated church applied for the exemption from the civil rights law in 2014, according to documents on the U.S. Department of Education's website.

"Among the religious tenets followed by the University and its controlling organization (the Free Methodist Church) are 'that God created two sexes, male and female' and that a person cannot change his or her sex assigned at birth." the letter addressing Spring Arbor's application from the Office of Civil Rights reads. "Your letter states that, because of these tenets, a transgender student would not be permitted to live in University housing, play on athletic teams, share restrooms, or use locker rooms with individuals of the transgender student's gender identity."

Andrews University, of Berrien Springs, made the list due to its opposition of a a fundraiser to benefit LGBT homeless children in Chicago. The fundraiser was organized by AULL4One, the school's unrecognized LGBT group.

In March 2015, Andrews University turned away the fundraiser due to its Student Handbook, "which states that funds may be raised for non-profit organizations "whose mission and practices do not conflict with those of the University."

"Andrews University believes that it is possible to both show Christian care and compassion for all people while also pursuing a life that lifts up biblical values," the university posted in the aftermath of denying the student-run fundraiser. "As has been true with the national debate on these issues, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Andrews University believe that there is room for respect of differing viewpoints within this discussion and within society."

Campus Pride's Shame List was first published in December 2015, in which it featured 57 campuses with Title IX exemptions. It was created to highlight 57 campuses who either received or had requested an exemptions to "freely and openly discriminate against LGBTQ youth," according to a news release from the group.

When it first published its "rankings," application for exemption of the Civil Rights law was not public information.

The advocacy group states that when they first released the list, "often times even faculty, staff and students did not know." While Campus Pride started with listing those with exemptions, this marks the first time the group has listed its rankings of the worst campuses for LBGT students.

"Ultimately these campuses are dangerous for vulnerable LGBTQ youth and others," Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride, wrote in the release. "All families and youth deserve to know this information - and so do corporations who do business with these campuses - from those who hire and recruit, vendors who contract food service, sell books, make donations and in any other way provides goods or services to a college or university."

Campus Pride also has a listing of the top LBGT friendly campuses on its website.