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Loading ...Three equality riders arrested in Alabama
10.17.2008 2:40pm EDT
(Florence, Ala.) Three Equality Riders were arrested for trespassing today at Heritage Christian University. They were on campus to deliver letters describing their personal experiences and advocating for the safety and acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.
Prior to the arrests, an HCU administrator read a letter stating that the university was officially declining their request for dialogue.On Thursday, Equality Riders met with one student from HCU who described the climate on campus as a “homophobic panic.” He explained that students and staff were discouraged from speaking to members of the Equality Ride.
“The way we were treated today is a clear indication that gay and transgender people are not welcome at this institution. The school’s choice to arrest us shows just how far they will go to suppress the message we bring,” said Jarrett Lucas, Equality Ride co-director. “HCU trains missionaries to go beyond the walls of their school to spread the inclusive gospel of Christ, but today they chose not to uphold the principles they preach.”
The visit to HCU is the sixth Equality Ride stop this year. Now in its third year, the Equality Ride has visited over 50 schools, most of which have been welcoming. At other schools, participants have hosted public forums, participated in panel discussions, and taken part in worship services and Bible studies.
The goal is to inspire further conversation and to empower students, faculty, and administrators to make their school welcoming to all students, a statement from Equality Ride said.
The three women arrested were Caitlin MacIntyre, 19, of Houston, Tex., Katie Higgins, 26, of Charleston, S.C., and Taueret Manu, 21, of the Bronx, NY. The remaining Equality Riders are standing vigil in hopes that students will come out for conversation.
Soulforce Q is the young adult division of Soulforce, a social justice organization that works to end political and religious oppression of LGBTs through nonviolent resistance.
Why do people make this a big deal? This is nothing to write an article about. Soul Force AIMS to get arrested at their stops simply for the purpose of getting the media to take notice and report about it.
My partner and I were invited to one of their stops last year and while I agree and support their mission and message, I certainly don’t support their tactics or how they go about doing things.
They purposefully break the regulations and rules they’ve agreed to simply to ‘make a statement’.
Jonathan Said: “…it’s no longer socially acceptable to “bash” Black folks but it is to bash Gay men and women.”
I would venture that this is in part due to Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, and the attitude of “We’ve had enough! If you are going to push us, we will push back” This is a mindset the SCC Community urgently and desparately needs to adopt, rather than feeling sorry for a murderer who has martyred yet another one of us.
Blacksteel:
I hear and understand your point of view. I also agree with parts. I still don’t think the comparison is accurate. I pointed out the main similarity I see and I agree that all bets are off but not because we as Gay men and woman are visible. I think that’s moreso because it’s no longer socially acceptable to “bash” Black folks but it is to bash Gay men and women.
That does not change the fact that the basic reasons for the struggles are different and comparable to the other only on the surface in my not so humble opinion.
As a Black man, when I walk out of my home in the morning, the bigot standing there will see the Black man before he sees the homosexual.
Jonathan Said: “…I don’t believe the comparisons to the struggle for equality Black folks faced and the struggle Gay equality can be directly compared.”
In essence, I agree with this statement. There are differences surrounding the circumstances such as slavery, the inability to hide (in most cases, tho there were some who “passed for white”) in a white world (perhaps “blend in” is a better term than hide). While the differences are significant in the struggle for black equality, the similarities between the two outweigh the differences. Both groups suffer as outcasts from mainstream society. Both are/have been considered less than human and undeserving of equality. Both have been the victims of lynching/murder. Both have faced financial and economic inequities (it is still legal to fire someone for being gay, tho while it is, in theory, illegal to do so to a black person, I am quite sure it still happens in practice). These similarities are most important because they go beyond race and have affected both groups, only the details vary. We should set aside these differences because as a wise man once said, I am not free until you are free. Any endorsement for any prejudice against any minority is to endorse all prejudices.
“A Black person is obviously Black in most cases. The same can’t be same for Gay people much of the time.”
You obviously have never met my ex
“The similarity is in the language used by the oppressor. You can substitute the “F” word for “N” word most of the time.”
This furthers my point of the similarities outweighing the differences. “Faggot” and “nigger” are repulsive labels used to ostracize, demean and dehumanize and they both boil down to one thing…”inferior”. This is one thing we share in the eyes of some.
“Please don’t compare what Dr. King or Malcolm X did with protesting because a school chooses to not welcome Gay men and women. Gay men and women have other choices. Black people did not.”
Actually this is a perfectly valid comparison. Segregation of schools was a major hurdle in the civil rights movement as “separate but equal” was exposed for the farce that it was. Dr. King and others spoke out to this injustice and desegregation was another step in helping blacks take their rightful place as equals in our society, and so it will be with gay acceptance. Let us not forget the Bible was used to justify slavery and the 2nd class treatment of blacks, so this is one way of attempting to open a dialogue with those who hate gay people.
One final thing I think is very important to recognize is the fact that many white brother and sisters stood by Dr. King and were beaten and jailed with him. There were white people in his marches and the authorities were color blind when it came time to punish those who dared speak out against racial injustice. We hope our black brothers and sisters will remember this in our struggle as those who have experienced discrimination first hand, as they have, should be the last ones to put it into practice against another minority.
Jonathan said: “As a Black man and a Gay man, I don’t believe the comparisons to the struggle for equality Black folks faced and the struggle Gay equality can be directly compared.”
Maybe not directly, but the comparison is still valid. The major difference between gays and blacks in the experience of being targets of prejudice is that one is visible, while the other often is not. But when gays are visible, all bets are off.
I and my partner now live in a very conservative area, heavily influenced by fundamentalism. Because we are always seen together, we are identified as gay. As a result of being visible, we are often targets of public insults and blatant discrimination. (Interestingly, in the same area, blacks are treated respectfully. But, also interestingly, blacks have expressed the worst in-your-face prejudice against us and act totally self-righteous about it.)
So, it seems likely to me that if gays had always been as visible as blacks, gays would have experienced much the same institutionalized discrimination as blacks. And, in fact, until only a few decades ago, gays who had their cover blown were often exposed to discrimination so malicious that it could ruin their lives.
You’re right Jonathan. I’m guessing you’ve never been told that being black is a choice. You’ve probably not been told that you can change and become white. I’ve never seen an organization set up specifically to help someone come out of black and into white. I’m also guessing that you’ve not been told that it’s ok to discriminate against you because it’s within someone’s belief system. I’m guessing that your straight family members have not been told that they can not marry the person of their choice. I’m guessing that you’ve never been told that you can only serve in the military if you conceal that you’re black. My thoughts are that you’ve never seen each of the candidates for president say that they do not believe that a black man or woman is not equal to a white man or woman.
I think you’re right. It’s different.
As a Black man and a Gay man, I don’t believe the comparisons to the struggle for equality Black folks faced and the struggle Gay equality can be directly compared. A Black person is obviously Black in most cases. The same can’t be same for Gay people much of the time.
The similarity is in the language used by the oppressor. You can substitute the “F” word for “N” word most of the time.
Also, almost by definition a Christian school is going to be anti-gay. Fighting to get in there is not the same as fighting for the right to vote, fighting for the right to eat where you want, live where you want, etc.
Please don’t compare what Dr. King or Malcolm X did with protesting because a school chooses to not welcome Gay men and women. Gay men and women have other choices. Black people did not.
As far as protesting the school, go for it. Make them see that they’re wrong.
Amen, Brother Clark! (for both postings)
Natas, what you’re disagreeing with is the tradition of fighting social injustice and unjust laws by means of civil disobedience, based on conscience. It’s a respected tradition tracing back to the famous essay, “Civil Disobedience,” by Henry David Thoreau. Both Ghandi and MLK adopted the philosophy of that essay.
Soulforce addresses this on their website. They make no argument about the legal rights of schools to ban them. They feel, however, that the call to justice is more important than the law as written. You’ll note that nothing was said in any of the quotes about the college not being allowed to have them arrested, but rather that it’s a shame that they would choose to have them arrested instead of having a conversation with them.
Rosa Parks and Dr. King didn’t de-segregate the buses in Birmingham by staying in the safe, legal back of the bus. They went to jail; Dr. King was beaten repeatedly and ultimately assassinated for his belief in equality for all (including us, as his late wife reminded us before she died). *I* don’t see the willingness to make THOSE kinds of sacrifices in the GLBT community (see John Corvino’s article about the lopsided fight against Prop. 8 in California). What we NEED is 10,000 gay people to line up to be arrested at EVERY homophobic college AND church, like Gandhi’s march to the sea to make salt. Overflow the jails and courts; THEN maybe the world MIGHT listen. I can just hear the bar queens now … “Get arrested? HORRORS! Orange is SO not my color!”
Bud Clark
San Diego CA USA
I know im going to be disagreed with as well as vilivied but the institution disallowed them from coming on campus. I dont agree with the institution or its beliefs. But they really had no legal right to violate their rules. Stand just off campus and do it. Why put your self into that situation? Makes us look like we want special treatment ie…dont arrest me cause I dissagree with your rules. Thats just as wrong as their beliefs. Im sorry that people are going to disagree with me on this, but the law is on their side. The way to change it, isnt to break it, its to lobby to get it changed.
LETTER TO HERITAGE “kristianist” University:
Heritage “Christian” University is to Christianity as equine excrement is to apple butter. The only thing they have in common is the color.
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the LEAST of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Words of Jesus Christ, whom you supposedly follow as the founder of your religion.
Somebody should sue you to take the word “Christian” out of your school name. You AREN’T; you have no RIGHT to use it.
The Rev’d Raymond Clark
Pastor (retired)
The Community of the Resurrection
San Diego CA USA
Hopefully they are connected to someone else via TWITTER…like that young man arrested in Egypt!
Thanks…for info. Sent this on to BLOGGERS…but shoud go to local PFLAG Group! Anyone from Alabama reading this?