Brigham Young University has fenced off the iconic “Y” on the mountain above the school and added signs warning that demonstrations there are now prohibited.
The school has limited access on Y Mountain, and it also asked LGBTQ students handing out pins Friday to leave campus.
The moves come on the one-year anniversary of when gay and queer students at the private religious college in Provo drew national attention The "Y" on Y Mountain east of Provo is lit in rainbow-flag colors to show support for the LGBTQ+ community on Thursday, March 4, 2021.“Rainbow Day.”“The rainbow is not offensive,” said junior David Shill, who is LGBTQ. “We’re not here to challenge anything. We’re here to just be visible.
There were also new signs tied to the fence and a few posted into the ground around the “Y.” They read: “Demonstrations are prohibited on the Y and university-owned portions of Y Mountain. Violators are subject to criminal citations for trespassing.” So, in solidarity and in place of the students who couldn’t do their light show, Huber and others in the community went up to a spot on the mountain not owned by BYU and held up colored lights under small tarps in a smaller display.Blocking off the mountainSchool spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said in a statement Friday that the fencing and signs in the area were added because the university wants people “to understand that this is private property.
An individual who violates the rule could be disciplined or arrested. The charge would be a class B misdemeanor for trespassing. A conviction could land a person in jail for up to six months and include a $1,000 fine.