Equality Riders "shocked" after bus vandalized, 6 arrested

• Six gay activists arrested at Palm Beach Atlantic

Soulforce has issued a statement about the arrests today of six members at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Their bus doors and windows were also smashed, Equality Ride spokesperson Paige Schilt said.

"We were all so shocked that the bus got vandalized in Palm Beach, of all places,'' Schilt told me via email.

Here's the Soulforce news release:

          EQUALITY RIDE FACES VANDALISM AND INTIMIDATION

Riders Arrested Trying to Enter Worship Service at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Bus Attacked

(West Palm Beach, FL)-- Just hours ago, sixteen young adults arrived at the DeSantis Family Chapel on the campus of Palm Beach Atlantic University. The Equality Riders were immediately restricted to the far side of the sidewalk and were greeted by an organized group of parents. During the conversations that ensued, a few students did join the group and one came out as a lesbian who is in her first year at PBAU. She was able to speak firsthand about the lack of safety for gay and lesbian students on campus, which affirms Soulforce Q's reasons for visiting the Christian school: to talk about safety and inclusion for all.

At 11:00 am EST, the sixteen Equality Riders walked to the DeSantis Family Chapel doors and were confronted by city police at the doors. School officials read a statement that barred the young adults from participating in the worship service with the students with whom they had been talking. A similar statement followed from the West Palm Beach Police Department. Inspired by the conversations that they had with students during a picnic hosted by the Equality Ride on Sunday, the Riders moved forward with good faith that they would be allowed into Chapel.

As ten of the Riders were turned away, six remained and were arrested, one by one. Those arrested were Jarrett Lucas, 22, from Philadelphia, Danielle Cooper, 19, from Maplewood, NJ, Lauren Parke, 25, from Seattle, Enzi Tanner, 24, from Minneapolis, Nicholas Rocco DeFinis, 22, from Lansdale, PA, and Zak Rittenhouse, 21, from Frankfort, OH. Students looked on as the young adults were placed in handcuffs and moved into a police van.

The remaining Equality Riders are still standing vigil and speaking with students on the corner of S. Olive Avenue and Okeechobee Road. They will remain there until 4:00 pm EST. The arrested young adults are scheduled to go before a magistrate Tuesday morning.

Today's visit to PBAU comes after a night of harassment for participants of the Equality Ride. Sunday evening, the glass door of the bus was bashed in with a hard object. Two panes of glass were shattered and small portions of the vinyl wrap were scratched off. A police report of the incident was filed.

Since 2006, the Equality Ride has visited 50 schools, hosting public forums, participating in panel discussions, and taking 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. The organizers of the Equality Ride use a collaborative approach, writing to college administrators months in advance and inviting them to work together to design programming that examines diverse points of view -- including points of view that affirm gay and transgender students.

Comments

[PBA Student]

As a student who was present today at the dialogue between Soulforce and PBA students, I can say that this article is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.
A) The vandalism that occured to the bus was perpetrated not by PBA but by anonymous citizens of the community. As a student who holds opposing views to the goals and views of Soulforce, I find this vandalism and act of hate simply appalling. After talking with many of the riders on the bus, they even said that they do not believe it was PBA students, but others who may have been staying at the same hotel. I find this type of sensationalist reporting grossly insensitive to the facts and demeaning to all of those who openly participated in open discussions at PBA today.

B) PBA also provided lunch for the riders, even though they denied the school's request to have a lunch on campus with select students to talk about their views and how they think PBA should change. This lunch was offered freely and was readily accepted by many riders.

C) As for the accounts of the first-year girl "coming out of the closet," I as there when she made this confession, and she was immediately approached by campus faculty and staff. She also readily admitted that she felt safe coming to the faculty at PBA and thought that they were open and supportive of her, even though they disagree with her on this issue. To make the case that people were stating that they felt unsafe and unloved by the school's staff and students is a disgusting distortion of the events.

I hope that Steve Rothaus publishes a retraction on this article and admits that what he has done is falsify the facts and act in a way that undermines the open dialogue that occurred between students and riders today. Although we did not agree on the issue after today's discussion, all of the discussions that I had with riders ended with a mutual understanding that dialogue in itself is a positive thing and I personally believe that I have made friendships with some of the riders that will continue on. I cannot begin to describe how sick this article's false information made me feel.

[Steve Rothaus]

There are two postings on my blog. The first is a news report from The Palm Beach Post. The second is a news release from Soulforce, in which the group offers its point of view of what happened.

Thanks for offering a different viewpoint.

[Frederick R. Freep]

I'D BET $1,000 ONE OF THE SISSY'S ON THE BUS DID IT FOR THE FREE PUBLICITY. BE VERY SUSPICIOUS ANY TIME YOU SEE ONE OF THESE CLAIMS. 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 IT'S COMPLETE HORSECRAP. THIS ROLLING FREAKSHOW SHOULD END. SORRY, BUT NORMAL PEOPLE DON'T WANT YOUR DEGENERATE IDEAS...OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER....SHOVED DOWN OUR THROATS. LOAD UP YOUR SEXUAL DEVIANTS, FREAKS OF NATURE, AND OTHER ASSORTED DEGENERATES AND ROLL YOUR SORRY ARSES OUT OF TOWN.

[MCstudent]

The above comment displays the attitude that is the reason the Equality Ride exists. It saddens me, as a straight Christian, that people can talk to or treat another human being that way.

It breaks my heart that it had to come to their arrests. Sure, PBAU has property rights, but it begs the question of why they feel the need to exercise those property rights... why is their message of loving as Christ did, accepting others as they are, so dangerous? Sure they offered a private meeting... but There wouldn't have been one gay student in that meeting. The Riders are there for the students more than anything, because its the students who are suffering discrimination on campus. The 6 Riders staying, trying to get into chapel, and ending in their arrest is a way of stating that the discrimination is NOT okay, and letting the LGBTQ students on campus know that someone is there for them.

I would like to note that even Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, one of the most conservative Christian schools in the country, allowed 5 of the Riders onto campus to donate LGBTQ affirming books to the library, and to dialogue with students. All they wanted to do at PBAU was attend a chapel service and worship with others, and they were denied that.

I'm looking forward to the Riders arrival in my town next weekend, and I feel that much needed dialogue will take place when they visit my schools campus.