SALT LAKE CITY — Philanthropist Lynette Nielsen Gay has resigned from the board of directors for the World Congress of Families after her affiliation with the organization brought controversy to an award she's expected to receive from the University of Utah this week.
Some students are protesting the award, calling on university leaders to rescind the citation before the U.'s commencement ceremony on Thursday.
Gay's honorary doctorate of humane letters comes largely in light of her humanitarian work as president and chairwoman of the board of directors for Engage Now Africa, which provides education, clean water, medical services and other assistance for impoverished communities in several African countries.
Gay has also served on the board of directors for the World Congress of Families, a global consortium of organizations that advocate for traditional marriage, child welfare and other family related issues. The congress, whose stance against gay marriage has drawn fire from organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, held its previous meeting in Salt Lake City last fall.
It is that association that drew the ire of the University of Utah-based chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, urging students to call the office of U. President David Pershing to ask that the honorary doctorate be withdrawn.
"We don't support any kind of prejudice or institutional bias, especially when it's being awarded by a university that supposedly is a safe space for trans and gay people," said Sean Taylor, vice president for the chapter. "We don't think it's appropriate."
Gay announced Monday that she would be leaving her position at the congress, though she and her husband, Elder Robert C. Gay of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, remain "staunch supporters for the personal freedom, rights and choice of all individuals."
"While we believe the World Congress of Families has been a vehicle for doing good for families throughout the world, and I joined the board only in keeping with my aim to improve the circumstances of all types of families and to make a difference in the lives of at-risk children, I do not want my personal values to be misinterpreted," Lynette Gay said in a prepared statement. "I therefore have decided to step down from my position on the board of the World Congress of Families."
Gay's selection, as well as that of the other three honorary doctorate recipients, was unanimously approved on March 8 by the 10 members of the university's 11-member board of trustees who were present that day. Kem C. Gardner, businessman and philanthropist, will receive an honorary doctor of business; Kirk M. Ririe, scientist and inventor, will receive a doctor of science; George D. Smith, businessman and publisher, will receive a doctor of humanities.
"While we had to choose from a large and extraordinary group of people, we're elated about our selections and are excited to present this award to these very deserving individuals," Julie Barrett, chairwoman of the board's honors committee, said in a prepared statement after the decision. "Each of these four visionaries made a meaningful, deep impact in their sectors, and we're pleased to give them the university's highest honor."
Gay's work also has ties to Utah's flagship university. Ten years ago, she and her husband founded what would become the Ensign College of Public Health in Ghana, for which she's now working to establish as an extended campus for the U., according to university leaders.
The university originally included details of Gay's involvement in the World Congress of Families in her online bio, but those details were later removed from the university's website.
In a prepared statement, university spokesman Maria O'Mara said Gay's leadership in the congress, as well as Family Watch International, another group that advocates for traditional marriage, didn't impact her selection to receive the award.
"Lynette Nielsen Gay is being recognized by the University of Utah with an honorary degree because of her important humanitarian efforts creating health, education and economic development programs in Africa," O'Mara said. "Ms. Gay has been affiliated with two organizations whose involvement in anti-LGBTQ campaigns around the world does not reflect the values of the University of Utah. They were not part of the honorary degree committee's deliberations in selecting Ms. Gay for the honorary degree."
As of Monday afternoon, 10 people said on Facebook that they had called the university as part of the protest.
Since the university is expected to go forward with the award, the local chapter of Students for a Democratic Society said it plans to hold a protest during Thursday's commencement outside the Jon M. Huntsman Center, then go inside and turn their backs while Gay is recognized, despite Gay's exit from the congress.
Taylor said the group hasn't vetted the other three people receiving honorary degrees, but that the students likely wouldn't oppose an award for someone with traditional family beliefs who doesn't advocate in "egregious" ways. The opposition also stems from the university's decision to remove Gay's affiliation from its honorary degree webpage.
"It's also partially the tactics the university's using that we're taking offense with," Taylor said.
Larry Jacobs, manager of the World Congress of Families, declined to comment Monday on Gay's exit from the consortium's board of directors. But he said the "negativity" pitted against the congress by the Southern Poverty Law Center and other groups is unfounded.
"Our message is a positive message. We weren't formed to be against any particular group," Jacobs said. "Our organization is made up of people who've experienced imperfect families. The idea is to put forward principles and ideals that help everyone."
Email: mjacobsen@deseretnews.com
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