Queer Christian crusaders

Robin Reynolds considers herself a "child of God, a follower of Christ and a lesbian." Yesterday, she led a busload of queer Christians to Patrick Henry College, a conservative Christian campus outside Washington, D.C., that has a massive homeschooled population and a direct pipeline to White House internships.

The article was written by Hanna Rosin of the Washington Post. (Rosin previously profiled Patrick Henry College for The New Yorker.)

Reynolds had the makings of a public relations problem for Patrick Henry. She is African American, and the school is highly self-conscious of its inability to recruit many African American students (this year it has one out of a student body of about 325). She is earnest and polite and always speaks earnest evangelese -- "goodness gracious" and "my word" and "have a blessed day." Before she eats or takes a trip or makes a phone call, she prays to Jesus.

After breakfast the bus rolled up to the college. The campus is tiny, like a Hollywood set of an Ivy League school. At that moment there were no students anywhere, not even looking out their dorm windows. Only police.

Police cars were parked all along the driveway and across the entrance of the school. About 45 officers made a human barrier. The riders had seen plenty of police presence, but this was "intense," said Katie Higgins, one of the organizers.

Patrick Henry did not forbid its students to talk to the riders, but strongly encouraged them not to. In a letter to parents, the school's president called Soulforce's presence a "rude and offensive disruption" and accused the riders of trying to "manipulate" students.

The riders filed out of the bus and stood in a line. Some held signs: "Open Dialogue" and "All at God's Table." They had all taken care to dress professionally, but "professional" is a relative term. At Patrick Henry, boys wear suits to class and girls look like young interns on the Hill. Although the dress code does not mention them, one senses that the riders' nose rings, arms full of tattoos and pink headbands on males would be frowned upon. Reynolds looked neat, but by Patrick Henry standards boy neat, in a pinstriped button-down shirt and slacks.

Two other Soulforce equality riders were arrested for ignoring a "No Trespassing" sign. Sadly, the article makes no attempt to discuss Christian theology about sexuality, let alone the opinion of the Soulforce members, except for saying they are Christian and gay.

Homosexuality is, of course, not as black-and-white for Christians as most want it to seem. I'm no theologian, but plenty of them have disagreed on this issue. Globally, the mainline denomination's growing bend toward inclusiveness has alienated conservative Christians (see: Rift in the U.S. Episcopal Church -- and with the worldwide Anglican Communion -- over ordination of gays). And last month, the president of the flagship Baptist seminary raised a ruckus when he intimated that homosexuality might be hereditary.