Equality ride

Background Throughout March and April of 2006, thirty-three young adults from the ages of 17-28 rode together on a bus creating a journey called The Equality Ride. [1] Inspired by the Freedom Rides of the 1960s, the Equality Ride traveled to 19 colleges and universities throughout the United States where they confronted what they consider discriminatory policies. College policies confronted by the Equality Ride specifically ban lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from attending. Some policies require the expulsion of gay students, while others prohibit heterosexual students from supporting a viewpoint other than the school's. Sixteen colleges targeted were faith-based institutions in the Christian tradition. Two were military academies. One was a secular university with an ROTC program. The Riders voted on these schools out of a list of over 200 colleges with similar policies. See http://www.equalityride.com. See also http://www.soulforce.org. The Beginning of the Ride Before officially launching the journey, the Equality Riders met with Congressman John Lewis—a member of the original Freedom Ride in 1961 and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He gave the Equality Riders his blessing and told them, “My mother told me growing up, ‘don’t get in the way; don’t get in trouble.’ I’m so glad I got in the way and got in trouble.” He admonished the Equality Riders to “make good trouble.” Under the umbrella of Soulforce based out of Lynchburg, Virginia, the Equality Ride launched its journey right at home. Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, also based in Lynchburg, was the Ride’s first stop. Liberty University arrested 14 Equality Riders and 10 community members who symbolically crossed onto campus hoping to speak with students. The university cited protection of students as the reason for arrests. From there, the Equality Ride traveled from coast to coast confronting schools they had been in contact with about their impending-- and usually uninvited-- arrival. The Equality Riders also rallied outside a conference held once every five years by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. After the first several stops, most schools allowed official forums in large group settings and in classrooms. One presentation by the Equality Riders entitled “A History of Violence” portrayed the modern violence against LGBT people in American society in a deeply emotional way, and then encouraged people to stand up against that violence as people of faith. Responses from Colleges and Universities While most schools chose to allow the Equality Riders onto campus, six arrested Equality Riders for trespassing as they crossed onto campus property. These schools were Liberty University, Regent University, Oral Roberts University, Brigham Young University, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Military Academy. (The Air Force Academy charged the Riders with Disorderly Conduct when they attempted to make public speeches on campus.) The military institutions cite their position as enforcement of federal law. Military institutions must comply with Don't ask, don't tell, a federal policy signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993. Through this policy, gay service members are unable to be open about their sexual orientation; the Equality Ride maintains this is government-sanctioned discrimination, claiming that over 10,000 gay and lesbian soldiers have been discharged since ’93 at a cost of $364,000,000.00. The military states this is an issue of “unit cohesion.” Faith-based institutions largely used their interpretations of the Bible as a reason to bar the Equality Riders. For many of the schools, correct exegesis lends itself to a clearly anti-gay interpretation of seven Biblical passages seeming to condemn homosexual conduct. These institutions tend to believe in reparative therapy as a solution for students struggling with their sexual identity and orientation, considering acceptance therein damaging to spiritual well-being. Colleges and Universities Visited by the Equality Ride Stop Date School Location 1 March 10, 2006 Liberty University Lynchburg, VA 2 March 13-14, 2006 Regent University Virginia Beach, VA 3 March 16-17, 2006 Lee University Cleveland, TN 4 March 18, 2006 Union University Jackson, TN 5 March 20-21, 2006 Oral Roberts University Tulsa, OK 6 March 23-24, 2006 Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee, OK 7 March 27, 2006 Abilene Christian University Abilene, TX 8 March 29, 2006 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 9 March 31, 2006 CCCU Conference Dallas, TX 10 April 4, 2006 Biola University La Mirada, CA 11 April 4, 2006 California Baptist University Riverside, CA 12 April 5, 2006 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA 13 April 10, 2006 Brigham Young University Provo, UT 14 April 13, 2006 Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO 15 April 14, 2006 U.S. Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, CO 16 April 17, 2006 North Central University Minneapolis, MN 17 April 18, 2006 Bethel University St. Paul, MN 18 April 20-21, 2006 Wheaton College Chicago, IL 19 April 24, 2006 Eastern University St. Davids, PA 20 April 26, 2006 U.S. Military Academy West Point, NY

File:Buspic.jpg The Equality Ride bus showing part of its slogan, "Learn from History: End Religion Based Oppression." File:Equalityriders.jpg Soulforce Equality Riders with Rev. Phil Lawson and Congressman John Lewis File:Regent.jpg Equality Riders rally outside Regent University File:Hatepaint.jpg In Cleveland, TN, "Fags-Mobile" was spraypainted onto the bus. File:Equalityprayer.jpg Equality Riders pray on the outskirts of Union University