(March 19, 2007)—Baylor University is the next scheduled top of a cross-country bus ride modeled on the freedom rides of the Civil Rights Era focused on Christian colleges and universities with what organizers say are policies that ban the enrollment of openly gay, bisexual or transgender students.

The riders are expected to be in Waco Monday and Tuesday.

The 50-day 2007 Soulforce Equality Ride involves more than 50 riders on two buses with stops at 32 schools including Bob Jones University, Brigham Young University, Mississippi College and Samford University.

Baylor is the only Texas school on the itinerary.

The Equality Riders, according to organizers, “are determined to open a conversation about the devastating impacts of anti-gay policies.”

“Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is deeply rooted in the false notion that they are sick and sinful for living their truth,” organizers said.

“This defamatory rhetoric is demoralizing and destructive, and far too often begets spiritual death and even suicide. Soulforce is determined to illuminate this reality and, in effect, champion those impacted by harmful ideology,” organizers said.

The group says more than 200 colleges and universities in the US have policies that discriminate against gay, bisexual or transgender students.

Last year, the first year of the ride, participants stopped at nineteen schools.

Baylor declined to agree to sanction the visit and said while it respects the group’s right to hold its views, it asked that the riders respect the university’s right to hold views based on its Christian mission and Baptist heritage.

Baylor’s statement on human sexuality affirms sex within heterosexual marriage as the biblical norm and considers heterosexual sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior to be deviations from the norm.

The Baylor student handbook mentions “homosexual acts" along with incest and adultery and fornication under the sexual misconduct policy.

“Misuses of God's gift will be understood to include, but not be limited to, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault, incest, adultery, fornication and homosexual acts,” the handbook says.

In 2003 Baylor University’s Truett Seminary withdrew the scholarship of a gay student after word circulated that he had admitted his homosexuality to friends.

Matt Bass of Rowlett was forced to leave the seminary after losing the scholarship because he could no longer afford the tuition.

Bass said he never told the administration he practiced a homosexual lifestyle, but did tell officials that he supported gay marriage and homosexuals.

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