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'We're Raising Her as a Girl': Falwells' Remarks About Granddaughter Spark Liberty LGBT Protest

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Some pro-LGBT Liberty University students protested on campus recently after the university's president and his wife said their granddaughter will be raised according to her God-given gender.

The News & Advance reports Jerry Falwell, Jr. and his wife Becki, were speaking at a satellite CPAC event alongside Donald Trump, Jr. when the couple said they would raise their granddaughter as a female.

"She's our granddaughter, and we're raising her as a girl," Mrs. Falwell said. "We're not letting her have a choice. God makes the choice of what the babies are going to be and God decided she would be a girl."

The Falwells went on to explain that their granddaughter always carries a baby doll with her, while their own sons grew up around firearms. 

About 30 Liberty University students responded to the Falwells' remarks by waving gay pride flags and carrying signs supporting transgender rights on the steps of the campus' student union. 

Some of the signs said "LGBTQ Lives Matter" and "Hate is a choice, being transgender is not," according to the Washington Examiner

"We're out here mainly to start conversations, but to also be supportive," said Elizabeth Axley, a sophomore demonstrator who says she's bisexual. "Yes, this is a Christian campus and, yes, Jerry Falwell, Jr. has insinuated that he does not care about you, but that does not mean that every Liberty student does not care about you — we love you."

Scott Lamb, a vice president for Liberty University, told the News & Advance that the school believes in letting its students exercise their constitutional rights. "We have protests quite frequently," Lamb said, adding the university supports free speech and the right to assemble.

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About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of