Students embark on equality ride

Thursday, a community came together to honor five young Minnesotans ? about to take part in a historic journey across the U.S.

Next week, the group will board a bus to take part in the SoulForce Equality Ride to protest alleged gay and lesbian discrimination.

Jacob Reitan of Eden Prairie drew his inspiration from the freedom rides of the civil rights movement when he began planning a seven-week cross country bus trip with three dozen young people to raise awareness of what he calls discrimination against gays and lesbians by more than 200 colleges.

"People cannot be openly gay and be students at these campuses," Reitan said.

Among the 18 colleges targeted are two Christian colleges in Minnesota ? Bethel University and North Central University.

David Coleman said he was suspended from North Central last may, in his senior year, after seeking the university's help against a harassing former boyfriend.

"They wound up using that against me," Coleman said. "I got kicked out of school for being gay."

North Central did not return phone calls for comment ? but Bethel University will extend equality riders a welcome mat when their bus comes to town in April. Forums are being planned, and equality riders have been invited to attend chapel. Bethel maintains it doesn't discriminate since all unmarried students are required to remain chaste.

"We believe whether a student is gay or straight that those intimate forms of sexual behavior can only be expressed in the context of traditional marriage," Bethel University Provost Jay Barnes said.

"Heterosexual people are free to fall in love and marry and share their lives with someone, gay and lesbian people do not have that freedom at bethel and that is discrimination,' Reitan countered.

The Soulforce Equality Ride leaves Washington D.C next week ? first stop. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.

Most of the 18 colleges being targeted are Christian, but the air force academy and west point will also get a visit. Organizers say they will demonstrate outside schools that do not let them in.

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