Religious protestersfrom a group out of Terre Haute, Indiana, demonstrated on Northern Illinois University's campus yesterday. Members of The Campus Ministry USA shared controversial views against pre-marital sex and homosexuality while picketing on Martin Luther King Jr. Commons.
The group is Christian-based, but is not affiliated with a specific church.
Counter-protesters said the majority of students passing by were pro-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.
One of the counter-protesters -- Wesley Andrew -- is a music student at NIU.
"I saw this kind of crowd and I was wondering what it was,” Andrew said. “I saw these people with these ridiculous signs that are telling homosexuals and lesbians that they're going to hell, and I just...I thought that was ridiculous. As a homosexual, I couldn't stand that."
Clara Treadway is also a music major at NIU and identifies as bisexual.
"I was on my way to class, and I saw a whole bunch of hate being spewed, and I don't think that's okay to be going on on our campus, so I figured I would counter-protest,” Treadway said.
Kirsten Borchert, a member of The Campus Ministry USA, says the group's messages don’t come from hate or misrepresent Christianity.
"They think that what we're doing is unloving, but it's actually very loving, because we care about people and we don't want them to go to Hell," Borchert said.
Borchert says the protests haven't gotten violent while she's been involved. But one Campus Ministry USA member had a dent in his car by the end of the demonstration.
The protest comes almost three months after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage and in the midst of controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood.
