Gay activists to visit Wheaton College

hey are heading to evangelical Christian colleges across the country spreading their own message: God loves everyone, including homosexuals.

And this week the Soulforce Equality Riders, composed of 33 gay activists, will park their bus at Wheaton College where the president is somewhat confounded by their arrival and what appears to be a confrontation on the horizon.

"Sexual intimacy belongs within the confines of marriage. We don't single out homosexuals. But we do stand on historical, biblical Christian beliefs that have remained the same over the centuries, so that we should be on the receiving end of this seems odd," said President Duane Litfin.

Wheaton, the Rev. Billy Graham's alma mater, is among 19 stops in two months for Soulforce.

Organizer Jacob Reitan says a Wheaton College student, who not only was "in the closet" but saw his homosexuality as a sin, inspired the ride.

"I asked him what was it like to be a gay student at Wheaton. He said, 'You know I can't come out, if I did, I might be kicked out,' " Reitan said. "Three years ago, I promised him that God loves him and affirms him."

Reitan hopes that student, now a senior, and others will discuss homosexuality with gay and lesbian students sitting comfortably at the table.

Paul Canaday, gay and a 1991 Wheaton graduate, said he isn't sure how receptive he would have been to a group like Soulforce.

"If a person was aware that he or she was gay, it was 'something I was battling' or 'hoping I would get over' so I don't know how welcoming I would have been at that time."

Uninvited guests accommodated

Litfin sent an e-mail Tuesday to alumni, asking them to pray as Soulforce arrives for a series of meetings and panel discussions on campus Thursday and Friday.

"We did not invite these visitors to our campus. But since they are intent on coming anyway, we decided to make a virtue out of a necessity by turning their coming into a teaching opportunity for our students," Litfin says in the e-mail.

Reached at his home Tuesday night, Litfin said: "We have been preparing . . . the whole campus for this visit about all the issues related to homosexuality -- historically and biblically and how these things work themselves out in a contemporary setting."

Soulforce won't have any impact on the "community covenant" that students, who call it "the pledge," must sign that forbids all sex outside of marriage and says homosexuality is a sin, Litfin said.

 Gay activists to visit Wheaton College
Chicago Sun-Times, United States -