CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) – Their visits to a pair of Virginia colleges founded by well-known evangelicals prompted trespassing charges, but gay rights activists on a tour to oppose “religion-based discrimination” got a less harsh reception last week at Lee University.

Students largely ignored more than 30 young men and women traveling on a 51-day bus tour of private Christian colleges and military academies that they say discriminate against gays and lesbians.

Dr. Paul Conn, president of the Church of God-affiliated university, said because the 3,900-student campus has public streets and sidewalks “we don’t really have the option of physically barring” them.

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘allowing’ or ‘welcoming,’ but we recognize they are here,” Conn said.

Jacob Reitan, co-director of the Equality Ride, joined with his traveling companions in serving a free hot-dog lunch to dozens of people at a city park near the private campus. “Religion is misused,” he said.

Earlier that day, group members wearing dark jackets with Soulforce logos stood outside a campus building as Lee students leaving a chapel service mostly ignored them. Police officers stood nearby watching.

Hailey Randolph, a 21-year-old Lee junior from nearby Etowah, said after walking by the group members that they have a right to express their views, although she didn’t support it and she was not aware of any gay or lesbian students at Lee.

Reitan said Conn reneged on an advance agreement made by phone for the university to allow members of the group inside campus buildings for discussions with students. Reitan said Conn told him just before they arrived they would not be allowed access to students other than on public streets and sidewalks.

Conn has said that he offered the group an opportunity for a private discussion with school officials and a public debate, but decided the group was only looking to express its views, not pursue a dialogue. He said the group earlier sent a letter to police that said they “were going to engage in possible acts of civil disobedience.”

Conn said he was not aware of any gay or lesbian students at Lee.

“We do suspend students for engaging in homosexual behavior,” Conn said. “What our rule actually says is we don’t allow students to engage in sexual intimacy outside of marriage. … That includes adultery and homosexual behavior.”

He said students “take a pledge called a community covenant. They agree not to engage in sexual conduct outside of marriage. It doesn’t say anything outside of behavior.”

Conn said he never considered what would happen to a gay or lesbian student who was not sexually active.

“We never had a student say to us ‘I am a non-practicing homosexual,’” Conn said.

Soulforce spokesperson Richard Lindsay said that was an unfair comparison because it allows heterosexual couples a choice of celibacy but does not allow students of the same gender to even hold hands.

Michael Wooten, 22, a Lee junior from Charlotte, N.C., sat in a swing at the park with friends who said they were there as curious onlookers.

“This has nothing to do with civil rights,” Wooten said. “Lee is a private institution.”

Earlier last week, seven members of Soulforce were arrested on misdemeanor trespassing charges when they stepped on the campus of Regent University, a private Christian graduate school founded by evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson.

During the group’s first stop, two dozen of the gay rights protesters were arrested on trespassing charges at Liberty University, the Lynchburg school founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.