Indiana University Bloomington's chapter of the American Association of University Professors spoke out against a House Republican budget amendment that would defund the college's Kinsey Institute.
In a joint statement, the professors' association and the school's Graduate and Professional Student Government said the institute's work is "critical to the health and welfare of the state of Indiana" and said they "deplore" the House's decision.
The statement characterized the decision as part of a "disturbing trend" of legislation across the country that "interferes with the free speech, academic freedom, and due process rights of educators and students."
They called for Indiana University to make up for the cut and increase Kinsey Institute's overall funding, and for the school's administration "to make it known publicly that it is increasing funding of the Institute as a rebuke to a legislative majority willing to pass amendments based on far-right rumor and disinformation."
"The proposed symbolic funding cut is itself a wake-up call to the IU administration to show that it is willing to defend the principles of academic freedom and higher education in service of the public good and to put its money where its mouth is by using its budget to promote the reach and visibility of Kinsey research in service of the people of Indiana," the statement continued.
The House voted Feb. 22 to stop state funding for the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction in the next budget. The vote was 53-34, with seven Republicans joining all present Democrats in opposition to the amendment proposed by Rep. Lorissa Sweet, R-Wabash.
According to the Associated Press, the institute "has long faced criticism from conservatives for its ongoing research and the legacy of (Alfred) Kinsey’s work that they blame for contributing to liberalized sexual morals, including more acceptance of homosexuality and pornography."
