Although Jason Johnson has reached a deal with the University of the Cumberlands to finish this semester's work, students and legislators came together for a rally yesterday in Williamsburg, Kentucky to protest the Baptist school's policies regarding homosexual students. Johnson was expelled from the school after officials found gay-oriented material on his MySpace page which they determined warranted his dismissal.
Said Johnson: “I was shown a photocopy of my MySpace page, a paper copy of it. They asked me if it was my page, I told them it was, and then they asked me to go ahead and leave campus.”
Among the protestors were Johnson's boyfriend Zac Dreyer (below left) and the only openly gay member of Kentucky's General Assembly, State Senator Ernesto Scorsone, who told the crowd, “In the long run, this will be a turning point and we'll make it so. I'll tell you why: Because of the beliefs of fair-minded Kentuckians.”
Protestors at the rally also urged Governor Ernie Fletcher to veto $11 million in coal-severance money which is earmarked for scholarships and a pharmacy school at Cumberlands. The Gov. remains undecided.
Students rally to protest Cumberlands' anti-gay policy [courier-journal]
Kentucky students rally in support of gay classmate [wbir]
