Media Advisory for Bethel College, Indiana

SOULFORCE PRESS RELEASE: April 17, 2010
For Immediate Release


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(Mishawaka, IN) – Today and Yesterday, the 2010 Soulforce Q Equality Ride visited Bethel College, bringing a message of hope and affirmation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. The thirteenth stop on the traveling forum’s fifteen college tour, Equality Riders were allowed limited and scheduled access to students, faculty, and staff throughout the day yesterday and are on campus today for more informal dialogue at the school coffee shop, Sufficient Grounds.
The Equality Ride is a national bus tour to faith-based colleges that have policies that discriminate against LGBTQ people. The 18 to 29-year-old Equality Riders advocate safe educational settings for all students, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer.
On Friday, April 16th, the Soulforce Q Equality Riders arrived at Bethel College where they were greeted by a group of select student, faculty, and staff “hosts.” Following a brief gathering with those campus members, Riders attended chapel with students and then spent the rest of the day attending and participating in classes, and dialoguing in scheduled small and large group settings.
“I was very glad we were on campus but was disheartened by some of the hurtful things that were said and the unwillingness of faculty and administration to reconsider any of their positions," said Equality Rider and Bethel stop planner Nick Miller. “This is one of the only schools where it seemed like we couldn’t even agree that LGBTQ students deserved a safe space to be free from judgment and the ability to openly discuss their gender and sexuality. It was as though we were being asked to ‘agree to disagree’ on grave issues like LGBTQ youth suicide, spiritual abuse, and the devastating effects of the almost universally condemned ‘reparative therapy’ still widely endorsed by Bethel. Although campus leaders purported to be ready and excited about this conversation, it soon became clear that there was no room for consideration of an affirming view or even finding compromises to make all students feel more welcome, and that LGBTQ students on campus will continue to be asked to suffer in silence.”
Riders returned today to debrief with administration about the day on campus by sharing concerns about the treatment of and policies concerning LGBTQ students on campus and offering important and concrete ways to make the campus safer for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students, faculty and staff. Riders are also spending several hours at the campus coffee house, Sufficient Grounds, for informal dialogue with members of the campus community.
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The Equality Ride bus is on the road through April 24, 2010, bringing dialogue, hope, and change to schools across the country. Future stops include:
April 21 Union College Lincoln, NE
April 23 Malone University Canton, OH

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Soulforce Q is the young adult division of Soulforce, a social justice organization that works to end political and religious oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people through relentless nonviolent resistance. For more information, go to www.equalityride.com.