I was pleased with last month’s Supreme Court ruling in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez.

A student chapter of the Christian Legal Society brought suit against Hastings College of Law, a part of the University of California.

The Christian Legal Society was challenging the school’s policy of denying official university recognition and funding for a club that does not allow students who do not adhere to the club’s religious beliefs to join the club or hold leadership positions.

The court ruled against the Christian Legal Society and upheld the right of a state university to withhold funding and official recognition from a student group that denied membership or leadership positions to students based on religion and sexual orientation.

I was not the only one pleased with this decision.

The American Jewish Committee, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Union for Reform Judaism, who together filed an amicus brief in support of Hastings, were all happy to hear of the high court’s decision.

I am not saying that organizations that focus on certain religions or sexual orientations should be denied funding from state universities.

All student organizations should have a place on campus and support from the school — as long as they are not discriminating against anyone.

Denying a student access to a club or organization because of their religion or sexual preference is a form of bigotry, which should never be supported, let alone funded, by a state university.

In addition to discriminating against students, denying access to potential members is only hindering the club or organization.

College is place where learning about new things should be embraced and supported — in classrooms and clubs. Telling students they can’t be members of a certain club denies them the opportunity to learn more about a certain religion, sexual preference or culture.

I think a great example of an organization on UCF’s campus that serves a specific purpose without discriminating against students is Equal.

According to its website, Equal was founded in 1976 as the Gay Student Association at what was then called the Florida Technological University. The club changed its name later to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Student Union.

In early 2009, after years of pressure from its members to change its name to something more inclusive of all communities, the club decided upon the name Equal. The organization changed its name to avoid discriminating against anyone.

According to Equal’s website, its mission is “to provide a safe environment for students to interact and network with each other, engage in social activities, and develop personal character without fear of discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, and to provide support and resources for students who have experienced such discrimination.”

According to its constitution, membership in Equal is limited to any student who is currently paying Activity and Service Fees and is enrolled at UCF.

Basically, if you are a student, then you can join.

To extinguish any doubts, the club clearly states in its constitution that “no discrimination shall be made on the basis of sex, race, age, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or veteran’s status.”

Equal serves as an example for what all clubs and organizations on campus should aim to do: fulfill its mission without excluding anyone.