"In this BYU community, there are gay people, there are LBGT people," Cramer said. "They are not advocating for special rights or to change the way the church acts or the doctrines of the church, they're just trying to be accepted in the community."

The Equality Riders spent five hours at Utah Valley State College on Wednesday, peacefully presenting issues to a few dozen students.

During the panel discussion, Call said he is impressed by most BYU professors and students, who have given enormous thought to gay issues, but added that in freshman dorms he heard students discuss in detail how they would react violently if a gay man hit on them.

Jackson asked BYU to clarify its Honor Code policy, which prohibits any sexual behavior outside marriage and any implicit advocacy of homosexual behavior.

"If BYU wants celibate students, it has every right to demand that and to limit behavior," Jackson said, "but the issue with the Honor Code is not about lifestyle, it's about identity. Not being allowed to express an identity is very damaging."

Jackson said BYU should make the effort to provide a concrete, black-and-white definition of what behavior could lead to punishment under the Honor Code.

"We don't know what 'implicitly advocate' means," she said. "We don't know what 'nonsexual behavior' would indicate homosexual behavior. We want to know where the line is we can't step over."

The university does accept gay applicants. BYU's Jenkins said if they uphold the Honor Code they have no reason to fear punishment for identifying themselves as gay or lesbian if they don't do so in a way that is a protest or demonstration or is meant to persuade others.

Jenkins also said the Honor Code is a brief, principle-based document that cannot anticipate each situation and that the wording is something the administration is willing to discuss. She also said discussions about gay issues are held on campus and don't fall under the heading of advocacy.

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