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Gay Lib v. University of Missouri

Gay Lib v. University of Missouri, 558 F. 2d 848 (8th Cir. 1977) was a court case in 1977 about discrimination in student group recognition at state universities, namely the University of Missouri. The case reached the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The courts determined that "the University, acting here as an instrumentality of the State, has no right to restrict speech or association 'simply because it finds the views expressed to be abhorrent'."

Outline:

HISTORY

Gay Libertarian also known as Gay Lib started in 1971. It was a homosexual group at the University of Missouri at Columbia which was founded to allow LGBT students to speak about their sexuality and recognize the students as a group. Following the start of the group, Gay Lib needed support from the university. To gain the support needed Gay Lib like any other group on campus has to be approved by three committees. The committee on student organization and the committee on government and activities both granted the group approval, but Edwin Hutchins, the Dean of Student Affairs overruled the other committees decisions and denied Gay Lib's approval. The group was not excepting the decision , so they appealed to the Board of Curators and they were still denied approval.

COURT CASE

Gay Lib forced the University to recognize them by explaining that their decision was in direct violation of the first and fourteenth amendment. Gay Lib v. University of Missouri now court case was brought to the Unites States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court mentioned , under the first amendment government has no single power to restrict expression based on group, content, or ideas.

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