Seven gay rights activists arrested at Pat Robertson's university

[struggle4progress]

By the Associated Press
March 14, 2006

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Seven gay rights activists were arrested Tuesday on misdemeanor trespassing charges when they stepped onto the campus of Regent University, a private Christian graduate school founded by evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson.

They were part of Soulforce, a Lynchburg group on a nationwide "Equality Ride" tour to promote gay rights at 19 conservative Christian universities and military academies.

"It was a very peaceful protest," said Margie Long, a spokeswoman for the city police department. The protesters were arrested after they walked on to the campus and ignored police officers' instructions to leave, she said. <snip>

Friday, during the group's first stop, two dozen protesters were arrested on trespassing charges at Liberty University, the Lynchburg school founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-sou--gayrights-regent0314mar14,0,3463349.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia

[ropi]

1. i have a question about this issue

if these people are being arrested, and if these universities, even if they are private, receive federal aid, are they jeopardizing their aid by not allowing the protests?

someone help me out here...

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bill McBlueState]

17. of course not

The only way universities can jeopardize their federal aid is if they ban military recruiters from campus. We all know that war is more important than free speech.

:grr:

[ropi]

19. ah, yes..

i forgot about that one!

and darn! i got a message removed by moderator reply... which lurking freeper did i anger?

[Bill McBlueState]

20. ha

Is this the first time a reply to you has been deleted?

It's always frustrating when you know you pissed someone off, but you don't get a chance to see precisely how their meltdown went.

[ropi]

21. i know!

yep, the first time. damn it! i didn't know that i'd strike such a chord with someone out there.

[Kerrytravelers]

2. Why didn't God smite them? I thought"He" hated homosexuals.

Free speech at a conservative, "christian" college. Surprise lightening didn't strike. :eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

3. I have never heard of a campus arresting anyone for walking in it

Why is Falwell getting this sort of police action?

[Kerrytravelers]

4. Because he represents "God," and "God" hates liberals and gay people.

Didn't you know? :crazy:

[struggle4progress]

5. Though "the earth is the Lord's," Regent belongs only to Falwell.

[anotherdrew]

6. why can they arrest these folks but not Phelps and his?

... it always seems to go that way ...

[LostinVA]

11. Private, not public peoperty... so they are trespassing

[Rainscents]

8. I thought SC just passed the law that said, people can protest.

Maybe I'm having a brain fog.

[queenbdem87]

9. Thank god I dont go to one of these shitholes

I'm so glad as a gay college student that I can go to a public college that doesn't discriminate against gays or foster an environment of homophobia. My hometown is only about 15 mins from Regent...I feel sick everytime I see it off of the interstate!

[NVMojo]

10. I'm not gay but I wish I could have been with them!

[Bill McBlueState]

18. maybe they're looking for volunteers

It's hard to keep up a national protest tour if your protesters keep getting arrested and put on probation. (I think participating in civil disobedience usually takes you out of action for a year.)

We should all see if Soulforce is going to be in our area -- they could probably use some help.

[Anita Garcia]

25. me too!

[OKNancy]

12. kick

[maxrandb]

13. Six gay-rights advocates arrested at Regent University

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=101357&ran=54748

Good to see someone stand-up to the "brown-shirts" at Regent's U. I don't know what is more scary, the fact that this U is affiliated with Pat Robertson, or the fact that they are mass producing faith based lawyers.

"Regent was among 19 faith-based universities and military academies that Soulforce will visit to highlight what it says are policies that bar enrollment of nonheterosexual people. Regent has said it does not have such a policy, though its student handbook prohibits "homosexual conduct" as well as premarital sex and adultery.

The tour, dubbed the "Equality Ride," started last week in Lynchburg, where more than 20 protesters were arrested for trespassing at Liberty University."

[MountainLaurel]

14. Faith-based lawyers are scarier

I wish I had my husband's guide to law schools right now: I bet their bar passage rate is less than 50 percent, and they're a fifth-tier school (there are only four tiers).

[BOSSHOG]

15. "Regent said it does not have such a policy."

Right wing code. Ku Klux Klan say they don't hate black citizens.
How does one prohibit homosexual conduct, premarital sex and adultery? With that criteria not many "christians" would be eligible for enrollment.

It is interesting that divorce is not prohibited. Gays who love each other can't marry once but good "christians" can marry and divorce over and over again. And no doubt they are all forgiven and chosen to enter the pearly gates.

[maxrandb]

16. Sounds like a fun school, doesn't it?

though its student handbook prohibits "homosexual conduct" as well as premarital sex and adultery.

Wonder how many of their students actually practice this??

Like we used to say in High School; "If you want to get laid, date a Catholic School girl".

[noonwitch]

22. I don't get why gay people would bother protesting at such universities

It seems to me that gays would not exactly be interested in attending Liberty or Regency Universities. Sort of the way I'm not interested in attending a fundamentalist christian university, because their beliefs and mine are not consistent.

Private, christian colleges and universities are allowed to discriminate against gays, as long as they don't receive any money from the government.

If gays were protesting unfair treatment at a public university, I'd be in full support, or if you can prove that those schools are receiving my federal tax dollars.

[roguevalley]

23. Sould force rules.

[BR_Parkway]

24. "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass

against us..."

Nah, that's just one more of those things Jesus said that they don't want to pay any attention to

[EFerrari]

26. Thank you, good people.

:kick: