The off-campus rally came a day after the private, Baptist-affiliated school agreed to let Jason Johnson, the expelled student, finish classes for the semester.
One speaker, state Sen. Ernesto Scorsone, called the expulsion a gay-rights "turning point" in Kentucky.
The crowd included more than a dozen students from the school, including Melissa Bond, who said she supports Johnson and was glad he will be allowed to complete his coursework before leaving.
"I respect the school for making that decision and realizing that everyone needs an education," said Bond, 21, a Cumberlands senior from Cincinnati. Two other students from the school said they hoped to provide another view on the controversy by attending the rally at Briar Hill Park, about a half-mile from campus.
"Hopefully I can sow the seed, share the Gospel. It is the key to everlasting life, man," said Josh Dillman, 19, a freshman from Louisville who was passing out religious literature.
He said Johnson should have been expelled because he violated the school's policy on homosexuality.
Under an agreement with the school, Johnson can finish his coursework this semester, his lawyer said yesterday. The Lexington sophomore will receive grades and his credits will transfer, said lawyer Don Waggener.
Johnson, 20, has said he plans to transfer to another school after the semester, perhaps Eastern Kentucky University, where his boyfriend is a student.
According to the agreement, Johnson and the school won't sue each other, but he can file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which accredits the university.
School President Jim Taylor issued a statement yesterday saying that the school had suspended Johnson for violating school policy "which clearly states that students should not engage in sex outside of marriage, including homosexual acts."
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