You wouldn’t think it would be so difficult to get such a group approved at Notre Dame. Isn’t this the position of the Catholic Church?

The FIRE blog reports.

After Denial, Group Opposing Same-Sex Marriage Approved at Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME, Ind., September 30, 2014—Months after being rejected on the grounds that it was considered “redundant,” the University of Notre Dame student group Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP) has finally won official recognition. Notre Dame denied the group recognition earlier this year following student opposition to SCOP due to its stance against same-sex marriage. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) called on Notre Dame to abandon its dubious rationale for SCOP’s rejection.

“We commend Notre Dame for finally getting things right and allowing SCOP its rightful place among Notre Dame’s recognized student organizations,” said Robert Shibley, FIRE’s Senior Vice President. “University life benefits when the door is opened for student organizations to offer diverse perspectives on important issues—even if those perspectives cause controversy or spark opposition from the student population.”

When SCOP formed on campus in early 2014, it drew opposition from some Notre Dame students. This past March, after SCOP circulated a petition calling on Notre Dame to take a “clear stand” against same-sex marriage, more than 600 students signed a “Students Against SCOP” petition aimed at preventing its recognition, claiming that it would constitute an endorsement of “discrimination” by Notre Dame.

On April 30, SCOP was informed that Notre Dame’s student-run Club Coordination Council (CCC), which officially recognizes student organizations at Notre Dame, had rejected its application, arguing that its activities “closely mirrored” those of other organizations. Without official status, SCOP was ineligible to use university facilities, promote its activities through university bulletins and other outlets, or take advantage of other privileges.