Published: March 28, 2007 08:34 am      

Group to rally for gay rights

Soulforce Equality Ride to meet with University of the Cumberlands students

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

About 25 riders with the Soulforce Equality Ride will arrive in Williamsburg today to rally for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, specifically in Christian schools.

The scripturally-focused group plans to meet with University of the Cumberlands students this morning — but they’ll have to stay off the campus grounds.

University of the Cumberlands president Dr. Jim Taylor said riders who visit campus will be considered trespassers and “will be handled by local authorities.”

“We simply cannot give the Equality Riders full reign of campus where they may disrupt academic programs and campus life," said Michael Colegrove, vice president for student services, in a letter to Soulforce.

Instead of entering campus, rider Matt Hill Comer said the group will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. today on the corner of Main and 9th streets in Williamsburg.

“We will be on Main Street attempting to talk to students to start a dialogue,” Comer said. “I think we’re going to have a good day, and I think we can expect a lot of good conversations with students.”

At 5 p.m., the group will hold a rally at the Whitley County Courthouse in Williamsburg. Planned speakers will include Soulforce Equality Ride East Bus Co-Director Jarrett Lucas, Jordan Palmer with the Kentucky Equality Federation, Wes Wright with the Kentucky Fairness Alliance and Jason Johnson, a former University of the Cumberlands student who was expelled from the school after revealing he was gay on his personal myspace.com Web page.

The Equality Ride is a two-month bus tour to “initiate discussion about faith and sexuality in communities where it is most controversial.”

In 2006, inaugural Equality Ride visited 19 Christian colleges and universities. This year, with two buses, the group plans to visit 32 schools.

“An unfortunate number of Christian colleges and universities blatantly condemn certain aspects of human diversity. In fact, in many schools, identifying as or affirming a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender person is a violation of policy,” reads a statement from the Equality Ride Web site. “Participants in the Equality Ride share a message of hope and healing with students suffering under such doctrinal prejudice.”

For more information on the Equality Ride, visit equalityride.com