MARCH 17, 2006 Falwell, Liberty U. Arrest Equality Riders Activists on a seven-week bus tour designed to draw attention to the plight of queer students at Christian colleges and military academies have met with Jennifer Jones basks in triumph as the duly elected homecoming king of Maryland's Hood College. perhaps predictable resistance at the tour’s first stop. WEST VIRGINIA As a crew from MTV News looked on, approx­ Opp Who Denied CPR to Dying Man imately 25 members of Soulforce Equality Ride Is Sued wbre arrested March 10, attempting to enter the The American Civil Liberties Union has filed campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. suit on behalf of the family of a West Virginia man The university, founded in 1971 by televangelist who died of a heart attack after a cop physically and conservative Christian leader Jerry Falwell, restrained bystanders from performing CPR on denies admission to queer students. him. Earlier, the university had issued a release from City of Welch Police Chief Robert K. Bowman Falwell asserting that the g,;oup would not be wel­ falsely believed the victim, Claude Green Jr., was come on campus, as he considered the demonstra­ HIV-positive and would present a health risk to tion to be an effort to gain publicity for its cause. The Soulforce Equality Ride plans to confront anyone who tried to save him. “It’s hard to say what was more shameful,” a number of religious and military colleges that ban the enrollment of sexual minority students. At ACLU attorney Rose Saxe told the Web site GayWired.com. “That Chief Bowman assumed each stop, members of the Equality Ride will Claude Green was HIV-positive solely because he present their case for equality. A statement from the group declares, “Bans on was gay, or that Bowman was so ignorant about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender enrollment HIV that he felt you couldn’t safely perform CPR force students into closets of fear and self-hate.” on an HIV-positive person?" More information about the Soulforce project According to the suit, Green was driving with is available at www.equalityride.com. a friend, Billy Snead, when he suffered the fatal attack. The pair pulled over, and Snead began KANSAS performing CPR. When Bowman arrived on the Militant Anti-Gay Church Will Obey scene, he ordered Snead to stop, saying Green had New Protest Laws HIV. When Snead—who did not immediately Westboro Baptist Church, the militantly anti- recognize that Bowman was a police officer—failed gay congregation that has raised hackles on both to stop, Bowman physically pulled him away. sides of the political fence with a series of high- Bowman remained on the scene, waving away profile protests at U.S. soldiers’ funerals, will obey potential rescuers, until paramedics arrived. new laws passed to curtail its activities. Bowman allegedly warned the paramedics not Speaking to The Associated Press, Shirley to perform CPR on Green, either, but was ignored. Phelps-Roper said: “We’re not going to get arrest­ Green died shortly after arriving at the hospital. ed. We obey the law.” Phelps-Roper is a member of the Topeka, Kan.-based church and the daughter of ILLINOIS its controversial leader, the Rev. Fred Phelps. Chicago Suburb OKs The senior Phelps and his con­ Gay Games Event gregation have grabbed headlines in After a deadlock that recent months by turning up at the threatened to thwart soldiers’ funerals bearing placards organizers’ plans, the parks with such legends as “God Hates board of a Chicago suburb Fags" and “God Made lEDs.” The voted March 8 to grant latter slogan refers to the improvised the 2006 Gay Games explosive devices that are the permission to hold a.row­ preferred weapon of the Iraqi insur­ ing competition within its gency, and reflects the church’s stat­ borders—but nor before ed belief that the soldiers’ deaths are controversy concerning God’s judgment upon the United the Games’ presence States for tolerating homosexuality. exposed deep divisions in Shirley Phelps-Roper turns on the With few friends on either end of the community. charm. the political spectrum, the group has While the prospect of seen laws passed recently in Oklahoma, Indiana, hosting the Games has drawn a generally favorable Missouri and Wisconsin that would require funeral response in the host city of Chicago, attitudes in protesters to maintain their distance. Westboro has the more conservative suburb of Crystal Lake were since canceled scheduled demonstrations in all four mixed. states, citing various reasons. “This is a request with an athletic event with Phelps-Roper said the group will continue its the title Gay Games. I oppose it, totally against it,” protests but will comply with the new laws. She resident Jeff Beebe told Chicago’s CBS television also noted that the church is considering a legal affiliate. Meanwhile, resident Sean Spoor attended challenge. “We’re waiting until all the legislatures the board meeting carrying a sign reading, “Out are over to see what tattered shreds they’ve left the with the bigots, in with the pride.” Constitution in,” she told the AP. © The proposal failed when the first vote dead­ locked 2-2 but was revived when the tie-breaking vote returned from vacation. 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