A Virginia university fought against its first gay student group — and lost. Now it’s honoring them

Virginia Commonwealth University leaders tried more than 50 years ago to prevent the formation of their school’s first gay student group. Now, the organization’s history will be honored with a historical marker.VCU will unveil the commemorative marker on campus in October, according to Richmond ABC affiliate WRIC. It will recount the history of VCU’s Gay Alliance of Students, which was founded in 1974. The university initially rejected the organization’s application for official recognition, leading to a two-year court battle that ended with a federal appeals court ruling that the school had violated the students’ constitutional rights.The landmark Gay Alliance of Students v. Matthews decision opened the door for similar student organizations at colleges and universities throughout the federal judicial circuit that includes Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia. The organization has celebrated the 50th anniversary of its court victory throughout the last year.Related: Emails reveal Virginia school officials approved an LGBTQ+ club — until conservative backlash hitThe commemoration will culminate with a gala and an October 16 unveiling of the historical marker, whose text has been approved by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources:“A group of students at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond established in September 1974 the Gay Alliance of Students, the university’s first openly LGBTQ+ student organization. A legal battle that attracted local and national support for the Alliance ensued after VCU rejected its application for official recognition. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in Gay Alliance of Students v. Matthews in October 1976 that VCU’s refusal to recognize the organization violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The court’s decision set a legal precedent. It extended protections to similar student groups in Virginia, Maryland, North Ca