Soulforce bus defaced and activists given citations

A group of young LGBT activists headed to Christian campuses nationwide on a mission to open a dialogue about antigay school policies encountered roadblocks during their first day on the tour. One of two buses from Soulforce Q’s Equality Ride was defaced Wednesday night in Sioux Center, Iowa, home of Dordt College. The group on the bus, headed toward campuses in the East, encountered a group of harassers Wednesday night who circled the Equality Riders’ hotel in their vehicles. Haven Herrin, young adult activism codirector for Soulforce, told The Advocate that some of the Riders saw the harassers mooning them from outside the hotel lobby. On Thursday morning the activists discovered their bus covered in antigay graffiti.

“The Riders were not sure whether the people were students or townspeople who defaced the bus,” Herrin said.

According to its policy handbook, same-sex sexual activity is grounds to dismiss a student or faculty member from Dordt.

Meanwhile, on a westbound bus carrying more Soulforce Q Riders, three activists were handed citations for their presence on the Notre Dame University campus in Indiana. According to a statement released Thursday, Equality Riders on the westbound bus were with gay students on campus who attempted to speak publicly about their experiences in the cafeteria of the student center. A Notre Dame freshman, Eddie Velasquez, was announcing further opportunities for dialogue with the Equality Riders when an administration official approached him and attempted to escort him away. His information was instead taken down by campus authorities.

Herrin told The Advocate that she was present for the incident at Notre Dame, where she and two others received citations. On Thursday the three will be joined by three other participants who will walk onto campus with wreaths to place on the Tom Dooley statue. “Campus police told us that we would be arrested if we were to step foot onto the campus,” she said.

Equality Riders received a similar welcome in Cleveland, Tenn., during last year’s tour. There, community members wrote "fags-mobile" on the side of the bus.

Officials from each college were unreachable for comment at press time. (The Advocate)