by Hunter Patterson | Mar 12, 2012 | News Slider
Soulforce members are trained to face hate and discrimination when they arrive on a Christian campus. However, they were met with optimism and gratefulness during their three sessions with the Lipscomb community on Monday. Soulforce is a “national non-profit that works nonviolently to end the religious and political oppression of LGBTQ people.” Since 2006, Soulforce has used their Equality Ride to initiate conversations and promote dialogue on Christian college campuses that “discriminate against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer individuals and their allies.” On Saturday, the Equality Ride bus rolled into Nashville. Since then, members of Soulforce have met with students, faculty and administration from Lipscomb as well as other faith-based universities in Nashville such as Trevecca and Belmont. Soulforce said the university has been very hospitable to its group. This is not always the case for the LGBTQ organization when they approach a campus asking for dialogue and discussion. Last week in Atlanta, the group encountered resistance from Carver Bible College when trying to establish a dialogue on their campus. On its blog, the group says they were forced to stay on the sidewalk outside the gate. Because of the decision to lock them out, their communication with students was limited to singing and holding up signs that could be seen through the windows of Carver’s chapel. Attending Monday’s event at Lipscomb came with strict guidelines. All attendees were told to arrive at least 10 minutes early and to have their Lipscomb IDs in hand. The doors closed on the hour, every hour, to prevent any sort of interruption during the session. Students and faculty who arrived late...
