Show Forced off BYU campus campus' Shar Brannam Campus Reporter Advocates for gay rights returned to Brigham Young University on March 22 to deliver a message of equality to university officials The Equality Ride is the annual protest march of Soul force a grassroots organization that promotes understanding for lesbian gay bisexual and trans gender people Equality Ride 2007 will visit 32 Christian colleges and universities in all on its week eight-week tour According to the groups group's Web site the goal of the ride is to toa Jt Ji a Ii make higher education institutions safer places for students and to foster a conversation about people and faith The walk on behalf of students was scheduled to take place just outside the BYU campus University administrators had told the demonstrators they would need to walk off-campus off this year or face arrest Last years year's event resulted in angry crowds and 29 arrests The protest resulted in Continued on page 3 o j t t S booted from BYU Continued from page 1 the arrest of two Equality Riders According to the Salt Lake Tribune Kourt Osbourn and his mother Karel Allen both of Kanab were cited tor for trespassing Thursday when they entered BYUs BYU's campus The Tribune noted that the two were warned three separate times as they entered the campus that they would be arrested if they proceeded This years year's event appeared to be more low- low key than the last Many BYU staff members and students did not seem to have heard about the event and protesters were hard to find There were no flyers posters or information available on campus Local business owners along the route had not seen any walkers nor had they heard any information about the walk or the rally that was scheduled to follow Walkers in the protest were encouraged to wear red and approach students peacefully to rel relate ate the issues which gay lesbian sexual bi-sexual and people deal with in their everyday lives According to a press release by Soul force individuals experience loneliness a lack of identity ty and fear They often feel sinful and cast out from the church The press release also said that many have felt hopeless to the point of taking their own lives Walkers were encouraged to be respectful of campus property BYU officials students and police officers They were also instructed to carry provisions such as water water- and food Finally the Web site encouraged participants to be brave to tobe tobe tobe be smart and to tell their story to any student who might want to talk to them At 5 pm p.m. walkers adjourned at Kiwanis Park for a community rally Community ril members spoke about equality in campus environments and in local activities Organizers hoped to bring students and their straight supporters together in a group effort to call for social justice |