|
(Virginia Beach, Virginia) A heavy police
presence attempted to keep students from meeting with gay protestors outside the
campus of Regent University in Virginia Beach on Monday.
The demonstrators are on what they call the
Equality Ride, visiting eighteen universities and military schools that
organizers say bar LGBT students.
Regent University is connected to Christian
Broadcaster Pat Robertson.
Campus police stood guard to prevent more than 20
"riders" from entering the campus, while local police ringed the
demonstrators.
Jacob Reitan, one of the organizers of the
Equality Ride, told 365Gay.com that several dozen students walked off the campus
and approached the group during the peaceful protest to learn more about the
group, "but police told them that they were not supposed to talk to
us."
Reitan said that other students left the campus,
crossed the street and then came back to the "riders" and were not
blocked.
Regent University said on the weekend that if
protestors tried to enter the campus they would be arrested. (story)
"We'll be back tomorrow," Reitan said,
"and we will attempt to enter the campus then."
Last week 24 members of the group were arrested
when the entered Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Lynchburg,
Virginia. (story)
The were released later the same day without bond.
Regent University originally said it would
welcome the Equality Ride, associated with the nondenominational Soulforce, onto
the campus.
The college said the decision to "univite"
the Soulforce riders was based in part on a statement on the ride's Web site
that says Regent has a policy banning GLBT students.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Randall
Pannell said the the school has no such policy, something Soulforce continues to
dispute, pointing to the Regent University student handbook which states
"...homosexual conduct or any other conduct, which violates Biblical
standards, is prohibited."
Soulforce said the Equality Ride was inspired by
the Freedom Rides of the 1950s and 60s to end segregation.
©365Gay.com 2006
|
Entertainment
