Random BYU Rules That Are Actually Real and In Effect Today (10 items)

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  (#1) Homosexual Behavior Is Forbidden on Campus, But Not Homosexuals

  You can be a homosexual and attend Brigham Young University, but the Honor Code makes it clear that no physical expressions of homosexual attraction are allowed. This doesn't just mean sexual behavior - the entire student body, in fact, has to commit to staying chaste - but also "all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings."

  Openly claiming to be a homosexual doesn't appear to be a problem: the Honor Code says "One's stated same-gender attraction is not an Honor Code issue" and "[BYU] will respond to homosexual behavior rather than to feelings or attraction."
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  (#2) No Premarital Sex, No Porn, No 'Sexual Misconduct'

  The BYU Honor Code says everyone must agree to "live a chaste and virtuous life." Specifically, the "chaste" part refers to premarital sex, since the Code extends to all students, faculty, administration, and staff, both married and unmarried. (In other words, married faculty members aren't required to suddenly stop having sex with their spouses once they get the job.) The Code also forbids "sexual misconduct; obscene or indecent conduct or expressions; disorderly or disruptive conduct" and "involvement with pornographic, erotic, indecent, or offensive material" but does not get into specifics.

  BYU basketball star Brandon Davies made headlines in 2011 when he was dismissed from the team for having premarital sex with his girlfriend. BYU did not make the nature of his violation of the Code public; The Salt Lake Tribune broke the news, citing "multiple sources." 
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  (#3) No Tea or Coffee

  Alcohol- and tobacco-free campuses are fairly common, but BYU, by remaining "consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," is also a coffee- and tea-free campus (this is how church authorities interpret Joseph Smith barring so-called "hot drinks"). The rule was extended to BYU in 1968, but does not mean the campus is caffeine-free: students can choose to drink other caffeinated beverages if they wish, even though the university does not officially sell or serve them (note the caffeine-free A&W Root Beer and Sprite at the "BYU Cafe" in the photo above). 

  Before the ban on "hot drinks" went into effect, BYU cracked down on No-Doz caffeine pills in 1967 by removing them from the nationally marketed "Campus Pac" school supply packages before carrying them at the BYU bookstore.
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  (#4) Visitors of the Opposite Sex Can't Visit Your Bedroom or Bathroom

  The only time a member of the opposite sex is allowed in your bedroom at BYU is at the "Helaman Halls" dormitory during established open houses (Wednesdays and Sundays from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.), and even then, "room doors must remain open." All other housing arrangements at BYU only allow visitors of the opposite sex in lobby areas and shared kitchens.

  Bathrooms are also off-limits: "use of the bathroom areas by members of the opposite sex is not appropriate unless emergency or civility dictates otherwise, and then only if the safety, privacy, and sensitivity of other residents are not jeopardized."
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  (#5) Single Undergrads Must Live in Sex-Segregated BYU Housing

  The Honor Code states that all BYU undergraduates that don't live with their parents (and/or, presumably, their legal guardians) must live in housing either on- or off-campus owned by BYU. All BYU housing is sex-segregated. There appear to be exceptions to the rule: the Code mentions you can be excused from this housing arrangement by the "Off-Campus Housing Office," but it doesn't state scenarios in which you would be exempt.

  Although it is not explicitly stated in the Honor Code, it appears that being a married BYU student means you can live wherever you please. There is nothing in the code about the (surely rare) married couples that choose to live on campus, but presumably, they have to abide by the same sex-segregated rules as the single people.
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  (#6) Men Can't Have Long Hair or Beards (But There Are Exceptions)

  Brigham Young himself had a substantial beard, but the BYU Honor Code states that men that attend his namesake university must be baby-faced: "Men are expected to be clean-shaven; beards are not acceptable." (Exceptions are made for men with skin conditions or "medical, theatrical or religious needs"). Men are also not allowed to have hair that covers their ears or sideburns that "extend below the earlobe or onto the cheek."

  Hair also has to be "trimmed above the collar" and can't be an "extreme" style or color. Mustaches are allowed, but they must be "neatly trimmed" and can't "extend beyond or below the corners of the mouth."
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  (#7) Piercings Are Limited to One Per Ear for Women

  Men attending BYU aren't allowed to have piercing of any kind, but women have a bit more freedom. The Honor Code first states that "excessive" ear piercing is forbidden for women, but then quickly defines "excessive" in a parenthetical: "Excessive ear piercing (more than one per ear) and all other body piercing are not acceptable."

  The Honor Code does not specify where on the ear this one piercing is allowed, seemingly leaving open the possibility of upper-ear rings or studs. Men get no such leeway: "Earrings and other body piercing are not acceptable." 
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  (#8) Shoes Are Required in All Public Campus Areas

  If you have visions of throwing a frisbee around on the quad barefoot with your best college buds, BYU may not be the school for you. For both men and women, the Honor Code's "Dress and Grooming Standards" section ends with "Shoes should be worn in all public campus areas." This means, presumably, no dipping your toes in the Smith Building Fountain, pictured above.

  The Code does not get specific about what kind of footwear is allowed and what isn't, but there is a note about overall dress standards that hints at it: dress should be "modest, neat, and clean, consistent with the dignity adherent to representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
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  (#9) Shorts Have to Be Knee-Length or Longer

  Men and Women attending BYU are allowed to wear shorts, but the Honor Code states that they must be "knee-length or longer." The same rules apply for women wearing dresses and skirts, except women also can't have "slits above the knee."

  Further clothing restrictions for men include nothing "sleeveless, revealing, or form fitting." Women, meanwhile, can't wear anything "sleeveless, strapless, backless ... revealing" or "form fitting." A cynical reading of this may lead you to conclude that backless and strapless clothing is okay for men, but including the catch-all word "revealing" in the Code likely covers that.
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  (#10) No Profanity

  Perhaps the vaguest rule in the Honor Code is "Use clean language." Considering the Honor Code emphasizes again and again that the Code follows the "ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," Church documents may offer some clarity: "To use the usual swear words is bad enough—they brand one as crude and careless—but to use profanely any of the names of our Lord is absolutely inexcusable." So it seems that blasphemy would be prioritized when enforcing the code. 

  On student named Brian Devine in 2011 claimed that he lost an on-campus job for using profanity, but he wouldn't specify what exactly he said. He wrote a letter to the editor of the BYU newspaper, The Daily Universe, to complain, causing a minor stir. BYU officials said Devine's account was "inaccurate and incomplete," suggesting the profanity wasn't the sole reason for the termination. Devine remained a BYU student and never heard from the BYU Honor Code Office.

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