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(Shawnee, Oklahoma) A group of young
Americans traveling across the country to draw awareness to colleges that
exclude gays and lesbians has wrapped up two days at Oklahoma
Baptist University in Shawnee.
It was the sixth stop for the Equality Ride.
Unlike visits to three other campuses there were no problems at Oklahoma
Baptist.
The riders spoke, prayed and sang with students.
Oklahoma Baptist until this year banned not only the enrollment of gay and lesbian
students but also the enrollment of straights who support gays and gay
rights.
That changed this year with the adoption of a new policy. No longer are
straights who support gay issues banned from attending OBU, but GLBT people
remain unable to attend openly.
Over the years a number of students have been expelled from Oklahoma Baptist
because of their sexual orientation.
But while the riders were making inroads with
students at the university, in Oklahoma City the state school board was
overturning a policy protecting gay students from discrimination from
teachers.
The previous policy stated that teachers could
not "deny benefits to any student" or "grant any advantage
to any student" based on sexual orientation. The new policy reads,
"the teacher shall comply with all federal and state anti-discrimination
laws." Federal and state laws do not protect students on the basis of
sexual orientation or gender identity.
Just before the vote state Rep.Kevin Calvey
(R-Del City) issued a statement saying the recent Equality Ride action at Oral
Roberts University in which nine Riders and community members were arrested for
trespassing was proof the regulation needed to be changed.
Calvey suggested the policy reversal would
"protect" students from LGBT activist groups meeting on public
elementary and secondary school grounds.
"This change in policy by the Oklahoma
school board has nothing to do with our actions in Oklahoma," said Jacob
Reitan, co-director of the Soulforce Equality Ride.
"This is a cowardly act of election-year
pandering from Representative Calvey and Superintendent Garrett."
Reitan said Calvey's view "is a prime
example of why we are here."
"For state officials to use the First
Amendment expressions of dissent by Equality Riders at a private religious
university to withdraw protections from public schoolchildren shows the level of
fear that exists about discussing the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender students."
Organized by the non-denominational group
Soulforce the Equality Ride was inspired by the Freedom Rides of the 1950s and
60s.
The arrests at Oral
Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma occurred on Monday after seven members of the
Equality
Ride ignored a warning from campus police and entered the campus. (story)
The university created by televangelist Oral
Roberts will not enroll openly gay students and students already enrolled that
are found to be gay can be expelled.
Last Tuesday seven riders were arrested as they
tried to enter Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (story)
Regent, which is affiliated with Christian
Broadcaster Pat Robertson, says it does not bar gay enrolment, but its student
handbook states "...homosexual conduct or any other conduct, which violates
Biblical standards, is prohibited."
At their first stop 24 members of the group were
arrested when the entered Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Lynchburg,
Virginia. (story)
On Monday the riders will attempt to meet with
students at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.
©365Gay.com 2006
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