Equality Ride makes last stop at West Point

The Soulforce Equality Ride made its last stop in its nation-wide tour of religious and military colleges and universities yesterday. The group stopped at West Point where, according to an article on 365gay.com News, the United States Military detained 21 participants after they entered the grounds of the military school.

The Equality Ride was at West Point in order to protest the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. A bill to repeal that policy is currently working its way through the legislative process in Washington, DC. HR 1059 even has a sponsor from North Carolina: Congressman Brad Miller of the 13th District.

The Equality Ride started in March at Liberty University, a school founded and headed up by the Reverend Jerry Falwell. Twenty-four participants were arrested at Liberty, including me and another Greensboro citizen.

According to a press release from the Equality Ride:

Military police arrested fifteen Equality Riders and 6 community members as they attempted to step onto the United States Military Academy at West Point to speak as citizens and taxpayers opposed to the military’s ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy. The policy prevents openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from serving in the military or attending West Point.

“We are here as LGBT people to pose one important question to the future military leaders that attend West Point,” said Haven Herrin, Equality Ride co-director. “The question is, ‘Would you serve with me?’ If the answer is ‘yes,’ then we need to tell Congress that military members are open to LGBT people serving with them. If the answer is ‘no,’ then we need to sit down and have a conversation with cadets that is 13 years overdue.”

As they have at military campuses around the country, Equality Riders wore t-shirts with the question, “Would you serve with me?” printed on them. At the front gate of the Academy, Riders and community members stepped up to a line of Military Police who informed them that if they trespassed onto campus, they would be charged with a federal offense. The Riders and community members stepped past the MP’s one-by-one and were escorted back to the front of the gate. Undeterred, they returned and stepped past the MP’s again and were arrested and escorted onto the campus for processing. All those arrested were given a summons and immediately released.

The Equality Ride participants will return to Washington, DC, for a period of discussion and planning for the future.

For more information on the Equality Ride and for past posts on the issue see http://www.onlinegreensboro.com/~matthillnc/?page_id=748

OR http://www.equalityride.com

Posted in Soulforce/Equality Ride |