Hosting what now appears to be a recurring event, anti-gay protesters positioned themselves outside of Rowan University’s Chamberlain Student Center on Tuesday, Oct. 5. 

The group, from the Key of David Christian Center in Philadelphia, is infamous on Rowan’s campus for their prejudiced, sexist, Islamophobic, and homophobic words and signs that are so proudly held above their heads. They riled students with chants, proclaiming “hellfire” for those that did not adapt to their views.

The religious group visited the Rowan campus previously in April 2020, where interactions between protesting students and the religious group quickly escalated. This resulted in the arrest of two individuals from the university – including one staff member.

A reaction often seems to be what the group is in search of.  But the student body has often diminished the religious group’s expectations of a vengeful retaliation by combatting their hate with the promotion of love, inclusivity, and acceptance.

This was evident during one of the group’s campus visits in March of 2020. At the time, the group faced yet another portion of the Rowan body, eager to drown their hurtful antics with an outpour of love, support, and unity.

According to their website, The Key of David Religious Center is a “place of love and power.” Still, the religious group held signs declaring feminists to be murderers and men-haters. Their signs called for obedience towards their hateful, ignorant, and narrow-sighted principles.

The Rowan community, however, was not scared away nor intimidated by the group’s antics, but rather rallied together, surrounding them in protest. Why? Because we are stronger together.

Rowan University is a place of diversity, a campus of acceptance. One with a student body that stands united in the face of adversity.

Students joined hands outside of the Student Center, holding their own signs that preached equality and waving rainbow pride flags for all to see.

Some students played their favorite songs by artists from the LGBTQ+ community in retaliation to the religious group’s homophonic remarks. Others dressed in drag, standing proudly in front of the group’s demonstration.

According to an article by Fox29, Rowan University Spokesman Joe Cardona previously commented on the religious group’s antics.

“These are professionals. They know how to press buttons,” Cordana said. “They know the right words to say to get students really active. And they did it.”

The student body is not one that can be shaken or broken by the hate these groups spew. We are only strengthened. We are only brought closer together.

It is in these moments that we prove time and time again that we will not stand for these discriminatory, misogynistic, and homophobic advances against our student body. Rowan has proven, yet again, that regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality, we will continue to band together. We will continue to speak out against what’s wrong, stand up for what is right, and fight back at those that hatefully and ignorantly provoke our community.

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