Two Dozen Soulforce Members Arrested
More Soulforce members were arrested at Brigham Young University on Tuesday, cited for trespassing.
Carrying Easter lilies, a procession of 30 students and Soulforce members marched from a Mormon temple to the entrance of BYU. They carried 35 lilies, respresenting gay Mormon students who have committed suicide since 1965.
They were lead by openly gay BYU student Matt Kulisch: "I'm proud to say I'm gay. I'm proud to say I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves me." Once on campus, Kulisch got down on the ground and pretended he was dead.
He was then cited for "public expression" which is not allowed at the school.
Public expression? Oh my god.
Posted by: Toby | Apr 12, 2006 9:38:25 AM
But having 12 wives is a-ok!
Posted by: Seangstm | Apr 12, 2006 10:15:13 AM
Public expression is not allowed. Now that's sad.
Posted by: Mike in the Tundra | Apr 12, 2006 10:31:58 AM
Last night I was just watching "The Celluloid Closet" on Logo, and it was quite an eye opener to see all these movies where it was implied that a character was gay instead of just stated. What was even more shocking was that those characters often killed themselves or met a similar ending of their life, as if to symbolize that being gay is wrong/bad/evil.
The only thing in this World that's evil is the inability of people to accept others as is. ...and whatever Entity brought Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton together. *smirk*
Posted by: Stephani | Apr 12, 2006 11:03:59 AM
PUBLIC EXPRESSION?
Now that's the last straw. I can tolerate a lot of things but this really crosses the line.
Do they still allow firing squads in Utah?
Posted by: Zeke | Apr 12, 2006 11:24:48 AM
The next time I'm in line at the grocery store behind a straight couple who's practically breeding, I'm making a citizen's arrest. Barney Fife style!
Posted by: Zeke | Apr 12, 2006 11:30:01 AM
Isn't mormonism nothing other than a public expression of a made-up religion based on some wingnut's mystical experiences.
Posted by: Bill | Apr 12, 2006 12:09:50 PM
Bill
That's most if not all religion.
Posted by: Donald | Apr 12, 2006 12:37:02 PM
Donald and Bill: how dare you imply that a young Mr. Smith, whose father was a snake oil peddler, didn't actually have a vision of an angel no one had ever heard of, dig up gold tablets, translate them, show them to some of his closest friends (whereupon the tablets disappeared) and prove that Jesus came to the Americas, which had already been settled by one of the lost tribes of Israel, (by the way, was he, then, an illegal alien)? You're both so cynical.
Posted by: JT | Apr 12, 2006 1:45:11 PM
Oh, JT: I think Mormons have as legitimate a claim as any religion does when it comes to divine spiritual revelations and whatever student, gay or straight, that decides to go to a college that has a ban on "public expression" is a dumbass. I mean, there's fighting the good fight and then there's waisting your damn time.
I am curious what the Soulforce members were arrested for. Andy left that out. Obviously they weren't arrested for "public expression", since in the United States, that's still (I think, right?) allowed. Must of been trespassing, but if so, how does that apply to Matt?
Posted by: Japhy Grant | Apr 12, 2006 5:19:13 PM
Japhay: Click on the highlighted: were arrested at Brigham Young University
Incidentally, I strongly believe that all religions have an equal footing in understanding the divine: the great Dog excepts them all (before anyone attacks me for misspelling...that's intentional).
Posted by: JT | Apr 12, 2006 6:15:31 PM
>> They carried 35 lilies, respresenting gay Mormon students who have committed suicide since 1965.
What a farce! Approximately 1,488 suicides per year are committed by homosexual youth. The 35 mormons who committed suicide over a 41 year period are almost meaningless by comparison. This is just another cheap attempt at publicity by Soulforce.
>>http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_suic.htm
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that "as many as 30% of completed youth suicides each year" are performed by gays and lesbians. Unfortunately, many information sources have quoted the 30% as if it is an absolute figure. The Department indicates that it is 30% or fewer. If we assume that the 30% figure is valid and that it is constant across the age range of 15 to 24 years, then approximately 1,488 suicides per year are committed by homosexual youth.
Posted by: Jay Croce | Apr 12, 2006 11:41:46 PM