Equality Ride 2007

home

2007-05-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

is where the heart is.

So I've been physically home in Arkansas for about a week now. Things are very strange, and it's been difficult learning how to interact with the world again in a non-equality ride capacity. The only topics I really know how to talk about right now are Queer-centered things.

To say that I miss all of the riders doesn't even do justice to how much I mean it. They are honestly my best friends and will continue to be long into the future, even if I don't speak to half of them again. The experience we had together is binding.

I will probably continue to post ride/Soulforce related things here from time to time to help me along with my thesis and to give you all updates about my life.

Thank you all so much for reading and commenting and praying and supporting and everything.

Namaste.

growing together

2007-04-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

I had to write this for the official Equality Ride blog, so here's a copy and paste-

We walked quietly in single-file line to the edge of Cornerstone University just past 10:00 on Sunday night. As I walked, I mentally prepared myself for a long night of standing in silent vigil. We stood facing a building where students were gathered inside participating in a 12-hour worship service in preparation for our visit. One by one, we lit candles. We held them close to our chests, and the light illuminated our faces. We had come to let the students know we were thinking of them, too.

Students began gathering across from us, and it was too dark to see their faces, but we could see some of them pointing and standing on tip-toes to get glimpses of us over the hill that separated us. Several riders walked across the mound to the students and invited them to speak with us. The police immediately told the riders that we were not allowed on the property. And slowly, but surely, the students began bridging the divide between us. What ensued that night was a metaphorical bridging as well. We began talking with students and found ourselves sitting in large circles at the bottom of the hill discussing Cornerstone’s view on sexuality. We talked about the Queer students on campus, and many students shared insight about the friends they had that were forced to leave the school because of anti-gay harassment.

I was happy to hear a student say to me, “I really think a lot differently about you now. Our school said you were going to be shouting and holding signs… but you’re not. You’re out here holding candles. You’re just like us.”

We continued our conversations until 1:00 in the morning. When we left, I found that I couldn’t stop smiling. I was so grateful for the great conversations that I had and for the students’ willingness to bridge the physical and metaphorical divides between us to learn about our humanity.

The riders, unfortunately, had to be back at campus around 8:00 in the morning the next day, so we arrived puffy-eyed and yawning. We found yet again that students were happy to see us and were eager to show the Christian hospitality that their school had not afforded us. They brought us coffee and donuts and stood vigil with us, even in the rain and heavy wind. The wind blew so hard that it literally knocked several of us off our feet, and our ponchos flapped noisily as the wind gripped them and twisted them around our bodies.

At 10:30 a.m., riders Stephen Krebs and Matt Hill Comer, attempted to deliver a cornerstone to the university that riders Vince Cervantes and Vince Pancucci had created. They walked down the hill and onto campus, each carrying a side of the multi-colored stone. We watched, hoping that perhaps the school would see our loving intentions and change their minds. But they did not. And, several minutes later, the two young men were carried away in the back of a police car.

An adjunct professor of the college provided us with lunch, and we sat on the edge of the campus eating with students and answered their questions about faith, gender, and sexuality.

Through the ride, I have come to a better understanding of the intersections of sexism and homophobia. They cannot exist without one another. The anxiety and misunderstanding about Queer lives centers around expected gender roles and norms—roles and norms supposedly sanctioned by Scripture. These beliefs then lead society to believe that gender is inherent and not social, which makes it harder to see the humanity in LGBTQ people.

We stood vigil for several more hours before heading to a local Panera to chat with students. A former student and current employee of the school gave us a piece of artwork that she created for us that symbolizes growth. The canvas is painted green with shattered mirror pieces on its surface forming a tree. When I look at it, I see my face reflecting in the tree. And I am reminded that through the Equality Ride, I have grown more spiritually and emotionally than I ever have before. This ride has influenced my life just as much as it has transformed students’ lives at the schools we have visited. We are all so blessed, for this is what nonviolence creates—a new place of understanding and truth…and above all, a place of growth.

taken at a communtiy dinner

this is neat, too

hmmm.

2007-04-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in our hotel room in Michigan, after three full days of dialogue and civil disobedience at two schools. Today was our last day on a campus as the east bus, and I am trying to process and determine what I'm feeling.

Honestly I don't know.

People have repeatedly asked me, "So how has the ride been?" And I never know how to answer. Is there really one adjective that can describe an event such as this?

Beautiful. Crazy. Monumental. Educational. Absurd. Awkward. Eye-Opening. Breath-taking.

It's all of these things and so much more, and I hope that one day I will have the words to adequately talk about how amazing this experience has been.

Our days at Cornerstone University were pretty good considering we were not allowed on campus. I met an awesome couple, Jes and Jim. We had great dialogue about women and leadership, theology, love, etc. I am continually amazed by the people God brings into my life. It is people like Jes and Jim that give me hope in Christianity. It is peopole like my fellow riders, Jarrett, Bram, and Robin that tell me that one day it might be reasonable to deem myself Christian again.

I do not know if I am Christian. I guess at this point it is safe to say I'm not. It's not because I don't believe in God. It's not because I don't love Jesus. But, my life experiences up until this point have never really lead me to ask myself exactly, "What does it mean to be a Christian?"

What are these things that people talk of when they speak of the redemptive blood of Christ? What are we really meaning when we say one thing is sin? What does it mean to say Jesus died for my sins?

Can I answer these? of course... but only in the regurgitated Christian rhetoric I've been told all of my life. But, do I know what I'm saying when I say them? Do I know what redemptive blood looks like (metaphorically of course)? No. I don't have any of these real answers. No substantive answers to determine what it means for me personally to identify as Christian.

And I'm okay with that.

I believe in good. I believe in people. I think Jesus was and is pretty rad.

And I'll sit with that for while.

a taste of home

2007-04-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

So I didn’t make it to Cedarville because I was sick. So, I stayed in the hotel all day trying to get better. By the end of the day, I felt great. The next day, the riders headed over to a neighboring city to visit the Coretta Scott King Center at Antioch College. We held a small community potluck and just had a relaxing day. We hung out with some students, climbed some trees, and coveted bicycles. We were told that the college was pretty liberal, so I wanted to walk around and check it out.

We went to the bookstore on campus, and on the way, I saw a spray-painted sign that read “Jail Solidarity,” so I asked a girl what it was about. That day, two Antioch students were arrested for sitting in at a recruitment center. I then thought “pretty liberal” was probably an understatement. When we walked into the bookstore, we immediately saw books on Transgender issues, Queer studies, anti-war topics, etc.

I browsed through their shirts, and their motto is “Education, Responsibility, Action = Change.” I bought a book in their Queer Studies section called Growing Up Gay in the South, which I have started reading, and it is fabulous. We chatted with the woman working at the bookstore, and she told us about a FTM transgender senior art exhibit on campus, and our jaws literally dropped. We got directions and headed over.

On the way out, we met some students and talked about environmental issues and such. They saw the patches on my bag and said that they have an anarchist resource center on campus ran by Queer Liberation activists. I didn’t know how to respond really… I didn’t know that schools like this one existed.

We walked across campus on the way to the art building, and the building is literally a giant warehouse. We discovered that a student can pretty much do art wherever they like. There was graffiti on the walls, floors, stairs, etc. The entire building was a canvas. I thought of Banksy and smiled. We learned that the exhibit closed the night before, but that we could still view the pieces upstairs. We also learned that the exhibit was solely STENCIL ART. If you know me, you know that I couldn’t make it up the stairs fast enough.

The stencils were beautiful. We later learned that all of the trans guys were students from the school, and I was impressed that Antioch had that many F2M trans students there.

my favorite

a view of the art studio below

We then walked around campus a little bit and found an amphitheater of sorts that had books painted on it.

We had to head back to the center, else I would have explored the entire day. I was really impressed with the school and the students. It was good being there, I felt like I was at home hanging out at the Locust House. The kids were smelly and shoeless and cared about the world. And it was good.

Gordon College

2007-04-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Gordon

When we arrived in the Gordon community/surrounding area, we were greeted with TERRIBLE weather. I thought I was in a monsoon, actually. It poured for hours. We visited a UU church in Danvers, Mass. and participated in a long service with music and speakers.

The next day, we traveled to Harvard Divinity School to meet up with Equality Ride founder, Jake Reitan, and Michael Huffington, a donor and supporter to the Equality Ride.

We then traveled to Gordon College to have dinner with administration and students. The student at my table was super nice and turned out to be a very strong LGBTQ ally.

After dinner, we headed to the chapel for a presentation. The chapel was almost full… I would say at least half of the student body was there, and the student body is about 1,200.
The Equality Riders gave a presentation called “Loving Like Jesus,” and discussed scripture and testimony to support the notion that everyone should love radically like Jesus and reach out to LGBTQs.

After the presentation was over, we went back to the room where we had dinner and met with many students. I talked with (I hope I can get their names right) Bonnie, Joe, Erin, James, and Miles. We talked about how to be a LGBTQ ally, and I expressed how this would take a large effort by straight people to reach out to the Queer community. Because Queers have been marginalized and silenced, it is going to take the majority speaking up and lifting out their arms to help eradicate homophobia.

We returned to the school the next day for another presentation on Spiritual Violence. A sociology professor responded with overwhelming support and discussed how symbolic violence must be present before physical violence occurs. He was also a straight ally.

Afterwards I headed to a philosophy class, which was very odd. The class was discussing Nietzsche, who I know nothing about, except that he said God is dead. A student in the class was presenting on Nietzsche and attempting to use Nietzsche as a tool to discuss a Christian model of The Fall. It made no sense to me…. But maybe it’s because I know nothing about this great philosopher. Then there was an awkward segue to us answering questions about our lives and the Equality Ride.

I learned that the students would be discussing Simone De Beauvoir at their next class and her book, The Second Sex. I talked about how I took a Feminist Philosophy course and studied De Beauvoir briefly. The professor asked me a rather bold question after a student asked us if we thought homosexuality was a choice.

She said, “You know, Amanda, since you’ve studied De Beauvoir that she says that she was not born a woman, but she became a woman. How can you relate this to sexuality?”

I knew where she was going, and I wasn’t buying it. She was implying that “nurture” heavily influenced sexual orientation. I deflected the question and discussed how I felt that gender was largely a social construction, but it was not fruitful to discuss how much nurture or nature was involved in orientation. What was fruitful to discuss, however, was the fact that the students in her class were going to have to graduate and work with someone like me, live next to someone like me, and perhaps have family members who are like me in the future… and they need to know how to deal with that.

I just felt very odd about the entire class, but I was glad to have the opportunity to speak to students in an academic setting.

After the class, we left for lunch and talked with students for the rest of the afternoon in the cafeteria area.

I joined a conversation with Enku and Josh, and ultimately found that the particular student they were talking to felt like a LGB orientation was OK, but having sex while being LGB was not. I relayed to him the importance of having a companion and someone to love. He said that individuals could be in a relationship together and love one another and not have sex. I said that perhaps, yes, but it didn’t make much sense because that would be putting unfair restraints on the relationship, which would keep it from growing to its full potential. AND, this is something we would never expect from a straight couple. His logic, (so common to many of the students we talk to) is really frustrating. I cannot understand how these students think living lonely, celibate lives is a good way to live. *sigh*

We left around 2:30 in the afternoon. I left happy that Gordon allowed us so many venues for discussion on campus, but still sad that I am continually proving my humanity to people. I am still proving that I am not sick and sinful and that my friends aren’t either.

I was also going to try and meet up with Joan, Kourt’s ex-girlfriend while I was in Massachusetts because she lives there, but our schedules and the weather did not allow for it. We have been writing back and forth for a bit, and I think we have created a nice relationship… as nice as it can get over myspace I guess, haha. But, I am grateful for civility and kindness. Perhaps one day we will meet.

I fell asleep on the bus pretty quickly after we left, and when I woke up, I saw snow and freaked out, and went back to sleep.

sunny days at Messiah College

2007-04-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if I have too much to say about our stop at Messiah College. The school invited us on, and for the first (and probably only time) in the ride, a group of all women greeted us as we exited the bus. The President of Messiah College is a woman, and many members of administration are also women. This alone brought a lot of comfort to the riders, as we have not seen much diversity thus far.

When we arrived, we were shortly escorted to a breakfast with selected students and administration. I talked with one (male) member of administration for a while, and we posed several questions/situations to him concerning gay students on campus to get an accurate picture of what the atmosphere is like. We learned that a student can be openly gay on campus at Messiah, but any attempts to be in a relationship would qualify for some type of disciplinary action.

In essence, this school, and several others along the way, advocate for LGBTQ people to live lonely, celibate lives.

We also talked with the students and administration a bit about the faith tradition of Messiah College because it is a Brethern in Christ school. I found that this particular faith tradition holds service, social responsibility, and peace to be of utmost importance.

After breakfast, our student host took us on a tour of the campus, and we saw an awesome senior art exhibit. Lots of talent at Messiah! There was on piece in particular that struck me… mostly because I could not determine the intent of it. The artist took stories, artifacts, etc. from people all over campus dealing with things that they had all struggled with. There were several letters from gay students, and some taken from the equality ride website. However, these letters were also accompanied with parts of the piece dealing with anorexia, gender norms, etc. I wasn’t sure how I felt about LGBTQ lives being paralleled to eating disorders, but I was nonetheless happy about the exposure of Queer people’s stories.

Shortly therafter, I was invited to speak to a Sociology class. When I walked in, I knew that the class would be an excellent one. Several of the students were wearing shirts that had female-female, male-male, and female-male signs on them. The room was packed, so much so that several students were sitting on the windowsills. We mostly talked about the movement, its effects, its consequences, our perspectives on it and such. Several students approached me afterwards and thanked me for coming.

Unfortunately, the day was not completely filled with this type of positivity. Repent America was on campus as well that day, yelling at students, passing out literature, and denouncing our visit. I saw one sign that read, “Equality Ride is a phony mockery of Blacks,” I’m presuming to condemn our association with the Freedom Rides. Police tried to get them to leave, but the organization threatened legal action, and ultimately a deal was made for them to quit passing out literature and to stop yelling at students.

We found that many Messiah students were engaging the Repent America group in conversation to defend our visit and to defend LGBTQs.
That afternoon, there was a well-attended panel, where the riders discussed their experiences as LGBTQs. Two other members were on the panel—a friend of the administration and a student. The tone was civil, but I was disappointed in the way the moderator handled questions. He essentially summed them up in his own words and grouped similar questions together. Hardly any questions were read verbatim or directed toward individual riders. At the end of the forum, we saw students passing out flyers for Messiah’s first Gay-Straight Alliance meeting! Of course, the organization is not (and probably won’t be) sanctioned by the school, but it’s a great start.

We left campus around 5:30 and headed to a house near campus called the “Restoration House.” It is owned by the college, and students live there. They are committed to community building and sustainable living. All of their food is organic, they keep up a local orchard, and they have community dinners each week. We were the invited guests that week, and the house was packed. The food was delicious.

I had good conversations with students, including one student who was just accepted to a school to become a Catholic priest. He was kind of confused about identity, which I find to be a common confusion on campus.

Many people want to know why we think our identities as Queer people are so important… which really reflects a severe misunderstanding of how it is not a separate identity, but a fluid one. As Mandy said during the panel discussion earlier that day on the topic-

“I am many things. I am a lesbian. I am a daughter. I am a sister. I am a lover of dinosaurs!”

I tried to explain to the student that a Queer identity often entails certain cultural aspects but does not always have to. I hope I helped explain it a bit. It’s a hard thing to explain.. because it’s just who I am. Just as he could probably not explain to me what it’s like to be straight, I cannot explain so easily what it’s like to be Queer. It’s a part of life that influences so much of how you relate and react to others.

Anyhoo, I think the day was pretty productive, more so than at other schools. The students are excited about starting an alliance, they are eager to see a policy change, and most importantly, they are networking and building an internal community that will help sustain them in the future.

reflections on our stop at Patrick Henry

2007-04-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Our stop in Virginia to visit Patrick Henry College was characteristic of a lot of our stops in terms of the presence of a very dichotomous community who welcomes us and loves us and also a community like the school who shuts us out and publishes falsities about our visit and us.

We arrived at Patrick Henry College on a cold morning to over 100 police officers, a visible 45 or so lined up across the property line in front of the school. The college clearly marked their property line with caution tape and no trespassing signs. I was the designated police liaison for the stop, so I spoke with police upon arrival. The police were awkward, in my opinion, but very willing to work with us. Riders later heard several of the officers comment on how stupid they felt for the excessive police presence at the school. There were police in front of us, to the side of us, in the buildings at the school, on four-wheelers riding across the campus… it was wild.

We stood vigil for an hour, had a press conference, and then two of our riders, Jarrett and Josh, walked on to the school carrying invitations to a community dinner to be held that night. The police let them walk pretty far on to campus, I think because they weren’t quite sure what to do, before they arrested them. Jarrett and Josh are both Black, and their arrests were strategically chosen because Patrick Henry College currently enrolls NO Black students.

A few other quick facts- over 80% of Patrick Henry’s students are home-schooled before attending college. The students and faculty are required to believe in a strict 6-day creation story. The school has a high turn over rate of faculty because of such things.

We went to lunch, and when I returned, my friend Nick who lives in DC was waiting on us. It was really awesome to see him again. I miss organizing with him and being around fellow Arkansans who want to partake in radical work. I feel like those type of activists are a dying breed in Arkansas, and I am not really sure what it will take to get people involved again. But, anyways…

We stood vigil again, and then it started to rain, so we put on our ponchos and continued standing silently, waiting to be let on campus to speak with students. The police began to take shifts. They would file in and out every so often to stand in front of us.

We received a copy of the press release sent out by Patrick Henry College stating that we wish to engage students in inappropriate topics about sex. There were other horrible things said, most of which are found in the letter a couple of posts below.

The rain slowed, and an officer approached me to tell me that a hailstorm was on the way, and that we had to do something quick. Luckily our bus was already on the way, but was late because of a traffic accident. We gathered and crossed the street, and it began to pour down. The rain was hard and thick. By this time, the hailstorm had weakened, and I don’t think the precipitation was quite that solid, but it was still unpleasant. We stood, waiting on the bus, getting soaked despite our adorning of ponchos. We tried to make jokes while we waited about our miserable condition, including that we felt like that day brought a new meaning to the phrase, “come hell or high water.” We stood about 10 minutes in the pouring rain when our bus finally arrived.

Then we headed out to a community member’s house—the same house that we had breakfast in earlier that morning. We hung out, dried off, and rested. I spoke to Nick a long time about organizing and how much we miss it.

Our evening ended with a community dinner at the restaurant that the community members’ happened to own. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and often feeling like I always do after a stop—in a state of mixed emotions. Confident in our message, but sad in the college’s decisions and actions.

Montreat College

2007-04-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

Montreat is interesting because the college, the city, and a camp/retreat center are all located at the same place. In other words, this community is very, very small. We were happy that Montreat invited us on campus because it would have been very difficult finding public places where we could stand vigil.

I talked with a member of administration for much of the morning in the cafeteria, discussing with him the harmfulness of their policy. A few Montreat students contacted us prior to our visit and told us about the harassment they face and how said harassment goes unchecked and uninvestigated by administration. This troubled him. We were given “free reign” essentially over the campus, meaning we could go into any classrooms in any building. A student invited us to the art studio, so we went there and talked with some more students and looked at artwork. I met a student who is interested in doing Intelligent Design research, so we chatted about the legalities of such things in schools. I wrote a paper on ID for a class in Religion, Politics, and the Law, so I had some basic knowledge.

We then went to a presentation/forum, where the riders presented on something that we have all encountered—spiritual violence. Spiritual violence manifests itself in anti-gay rhetoric and ex-communication of Queer people from the church. Then, two professors from the college “responded” to our presentation. The response was not a response, however. One professor of theology had a 14-page paper that he read verbatim—not at all responding to what we had just discussed. In fact, this professor advocated for spiritual violence unapologetically. What is even more interesting as that he says he advocated a traditional Christian position, which supported the subjugation of women. Keep in mind, there is a lot of academic fluff, but the sexism and homophobia are blatant. Here are a few quotes from his paper.

“The Father and the Son share one nature, since the eternally begotten Son comes from the Father, just as the woman both shares the nature of the man and comes from him. And just as the woman is differentiated from the man by properties peculiar to her gender, so in the Trinity the Son is differentiated from the Father by a difference of properties. This mystery is what St. Paul alludes to in 1 Corinthians 11 when he says that, "the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (11:3). He says that man, "is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man" (11:7-9).

Christ bears the same relation to God as the woman does to the man, in that the created order and dependence of the woman upon the headship of the man is an earthly image of the loving submission of the Son to the headship of the Father within the life of the Trinity. The woman was created to reflect the glory of the man just as the Son as the image of the invisible God reflects the glory of the Father. Central to Paul's argument in 1 Corinthians 11, based as it is upon the creation story, is that the very order of the life of the Trinity is to be reflected in the order of marriage, in which the man and the woman in their complementary roles image the loving headship and submission of the Father and the Son. For Christians, this is why Genesis 1:26 says, "Let us make man in our image."

Thus, the relationship between the genders constitutes an intentional pattern that is designed to reflect the love of the Trinity. You cannot take either gender out of that picture without distorting the divinely intended order inherent within humankind's image bearing role as male and female. It will not do to point out, as Mel White does, that this passage in Genesis says nothing about single persons or couples who do not have children. This is obviously because in the original man and woman we see a pattern for humankind as a whole. Childless couples and single persons, cannot constitute that pattern, for the simple reason that if they did the human race would only last one generation. But neither childless couples nor single persons disrupt the natural created ordering of the genders. Neither instance takes one of the genders out of the equation and replaces them with another, so they do not constitute analogous examples that can be used to support the practice of homosexual partnering."

And finally, he calls for the ex-communication of Queers who refuse to see the power and truth of the Holy Scripture:

“I cannot stress enough that the excommunication of any baptized person should only be put into effect after a process of loving and patient pastoral care, in the knowledge that all human beings fall short of the glory of God, in the hope that as she makes progress in the spiritual practices of prayer, Bible study, participation in worship and Eucharist, and the daily dying to self which is integral to Christian discipleship, she will come to acknowledge those points in her moral choices which are inconsistent with her identity in Christ, and her obligations as a member of the ecclesial family of God. The Church herself bears a heavy responsibility in this process. The only way practicing homosexuals will ever be brought to the point of accepting the Church's historic doctrine, to which all Christians are sacramentally committed through baptism, is if the theologians and pastors of the flock of God speak with a clear and consistent voice, and resist every temptation to conform the Church's moral teaching to the whims and deviant practices of the ethically bankrupt culture which surrounds us.”

By the end of his presentation, I was crying at his us of spiritual violence against my friends, my community, and me. It was doubly heart-breaking that he supported the view of women as less than. I could not stay in the room long after that, though many Equality Riders approached him to dialogue about his views. Our co-director, Jarrett, told him he was a Pharisee, which later made me smile. But, then I felt beaten and worn. It’s never the screaming, the sign holding, or the excessive police presence that tears me down. It’s the outright use of spiritual violence to make us feel less than that gets to me. It’s the untruth and the misuse of the Bible coupled with sexism and homophobia to produce a hate that stings.

We later went hiking up Lookout Mountain, which totally kicked my butt, but the exerting of energy made me feel much better. Looking out off the mountain to the city below left me with a peace that helped sustain me after the violent incident.

I made several friends and ate dinner with them at a local UU church, and felt overwhelmingly better by the end of the night.

Just today, we received word that a student met with the Dean of Students to discuss a policy change at Montreat. The administrator told her that he could foresee a change that only excludes homosexual sex acts, as to give it parity to heterosexual sex acts. The administrator said that sexual orientation could very well be added to the anti-harassment policy. So, despite the rather negative experience I had there, change is happening. And, if it takes me absorbing hate and spiritual violence to see these policies change, I will gladly do it for the rest of my life.

a really good video on patrick henry

2007-04-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

from the washington post

A further look back

2007-04-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say a few quick words about our stop in Birmingham because it has had quite a profound impact on me, and I haven’t had the time to write about it yet. Being in a city with so much history where nonviolence blossomed and was successful really meant a lot to me. Perhaps it was my own doing, but I felt something in the air in Birmingham—a spirit of reconciliation, of turmoil, of triumph.

We visited the Civil Rights Institute and the 16th street Baptist Church, where a bombing killed four young girls. Upon arriving at the Civil Rights Institute, we were ushered into a small theater where we watched a movie about the city of Birmingham and the role of Blacks in creating and sustaining the city. The movie ended talking about segregation and a picture was shown of segregated water fountains. Then, the screen rose, and the very same water fountains that were in the picture were present before us. And this was the entrance into the museum. It was a really weird/surreal moment.

Everything in the museum was donated and is a real artifact of the Civil Rights era. The pictures/advertisements of Blacks were particularly disturbing to me. There was one especially disturbing—a handbill from Hot Springs, Arkansas—advertising a Black man giving a white man a bath. His features were exaggerated. His skin was really, really dark. And, he was saying something unintelligent. I teared up at the pictures of the lynchings, and with each new artifact I saw and each new piece of information I read, my lip began to quiver, and my whole being was just genuinely sorrowful.

I kept waiting to come to the Freedom Ride section of the museum. With every step I took, I got more anxious. And I finally made it and my breath was taken away. There was a large piece of the bus that was bombed in Anniston there. It was burnt and damaged. You could actually look inside and see the burnt seats and the smoke-damaged ceiling. I began to think back to the readings about the bombing that I have read. I pictured them—black and white—sitting there. Scared. Unsure. I saw the bus filling up with smoke. I saw them rushing out of the bus in a frenzy. I became overwhelmed, and before I knew it, the tension that had been building found a release. I was bawling. My entire body was convulsing in fits of sadness and disgust. I remember whispering to myself, “How could they?”

How could they do this to someone based on a benign characteristic like skin color? How could they?

I pulled it together after a hug from a friend and finished the museum. I was disappointed to see that the Human Rights section of the museum at the end failed to include LGBTQ issues…

and then I remembered why my presence on the ride was so vital. So necessary.

So that one day, the world will see Queer oppression as just that—an oppression that must be targeted and eradicated, just like all other systematic forms of violence and discrimination.

letter from the president of patrick henry college

2007-04-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

sent to parents of students:

To Parents of PHC Students:

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me take this opportunity to alert you to an event that will occur at Patrick Henry College on April 12—an event that, as you may have heard, is being thrust upon all of us at the College against our will.

As background, in mid-January I received a letter from the co-director of Soulforce Equality Ride, a traveling band of homosexual activists professing to emulate the civil rights crusades of the 1950s and 1960s. The group’s real mission, however, is much less virtuous. Using sophisticated methods of political theater (i.e. civil rights imagery, symbolism, and language), Soulforce travels the country in buses, hoping to insinuate its activist message and membership into the fabric of Christian campuses. There they attempt to engage students in inappropriate dialogue about sex, sexual orientation and gender. Their aim is nothing less than to confuse and indoctrinate young Christians to the notion that God’s Word supports the “gay” lifestyle, or that it remains morally mute on a subject about which the Bible actually has much to say -- on behaviors it explicitly and indisputably labels sin.

The group has informed me that on April 12, Soulforce intends to include PHC on its cross-country bus tour, adding us to their list of Christian colleges deemed to hold policies and doctrines that refuse to affirm the validity of homosexual practices. Since this is the third year of the Soulforce Equality Ride, there is ample documentation of the tactics used by this group to infiltrate colleges like Notre Dame, Liberty University, Regent University, Oklahoma Baptist University, and many others. Depending on the school’s response (which varies from college to college), the staged protests take many forms, all geared toward an overriding objective of “exposing” intolerant, “bigoted hostility” by these institutions. Their tactics can involve infiltrating the campus, staging protests and waving signs (such as “We support the gay and lesbian students at Liberty University,”) and holding impromptu “worship services,” with activists quoting Scripture and singing Christian songs to portray themselves as “fellow Christians.” Their dialogue with students can include statements like, “Many people don’t fully realize that they are gay,” or “We can help you uncover the deeper truth about yourself,” or, “You may not think there are gay and lesbian students at PHC, but....” If allowed, they would disrupt classes and lunchrooms and chapel services, and, in a growing number of cases, provoke police intervention and arrests.

I have been in communication with the organization about their visit and informed them that, since I do not believe that appropriate dialogue can occur under the conditions of Soulforce’s uninvited visit, we can neither welcome nor allow them on the PHC campus.

I did propose, as an alternative, that they establish a neutral venue for a more organized, intellectually responsible debate. In lieu of their visit to our campus, I said that we would be willing to send PHC students to undertake a formal debate on the merits of the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As you might imagine, they rejected my invitation on grounds that formal debate is not “authentic dialogue.” I chock it up to an undeniable fact: as evidenced by their intrusive tactics and internal literature, Soulforce can claim no authentic desire to embrace intellectually responsible dialogue. Rather, it wants to entangle its targets in a manipulative form of political theater. I believe their approach is contrary to intellectually substantive dialogue, and have therefore asked them not to come to PHC on April 12, emphasizing that they will not be allowed on our campus.

Do I expect that to stop them from showing up at our entrance come April 12? No, I do not. But if they do, I want you to know that I have spent a good deal of time in prayer and consultation with our faculty, staff, and many of our students to determine the best course of action. My overriding concern is to protect our students (and your children) from a rude and offensive disruption to PHC’s educational goals and spiritual objectives. To this end, I have decided to take the following steps.

Experience teaches us that these events can, at times, best be defused by simply refusing to engage. In our case, this may be achieved by posting police at the campus entrance and refusing to interact with Soulforce on any level. While I have not forbidden our students from dialoguing with the protesters out on the roadside, I have requested and strongly urged them not to. Students who walked out to the roadside for conversations would be rewarding the group’s rudeness, and would expose themselves to carefully scripted manipulative techniques. If you concur, I would appreciate your reinforcing my request on this point as you have opportunity to talk with your son or daughter.

We expect that Soulforce will arrive, as expected, on April 12, that they will protest in front of our campus for an hour or two and, at a predetermined time, send their designated representatives to cross our property line. In that event, local police have been instructed to make arrests quickly, hopefully ending the event without further incident. This has already occurred on several campuses, including at the University of Notre Dame earlier this month.

As one might imagine, our decision to close the campus to this group grates against the natural desire of some of our students for intense engagement and rigorous debate on all issues. Many are quite good at it and would, I have no doubt, not merely withstand but powerfully counter and dismantle the most sophisticated deception. Understandably, such students question my decision. Moreover, even Christianity Today has editorially praised campuses that threw out the welcome mat to Soulforce, applauding them for practicing “the power of hospitality.”

I understand and share the desire to engage; yet, as I have prayed and studied, I have found that the Bible indicates otherwise in a case like this. The scriptural basis for our approach is, I believe, well-founded. Those who would urge our College to practice open-armed hospitality toward Soulforce and its members overlook a critical biblical exhortation.

In several places in the New Testament (Acts 20; 1 Cor. 5; 2 Tim. 3, to name a few), the Apostle Paul charges believers to have nothing to do with self-described Christians (note: not ordinary unbelievers) who have willfully rejected the truth. In 1 Cor. 5: 9-11, Paul writes: “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral... In that case you have to leave this world: But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer... With such a man do not even eat.” In 2 Tim. 3:5, Paul warns against those “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

The Apostle John describes the person who once held, but then actively taught against gospel truth. Of such a person he says, “do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.” (2 John 10-11)

In these and other passages, the Biblical message is stern but explicit: have nothing to do with them. I take this charge seriously. Soulforce as an organization presents itself as religiously-motivated and ecumenical in character. The organization’s founders, its key leaders and many of its activist members do not present themselves as being somehow non-Christian; rather, they present themselves as being emphatically Christian. In their literature and throughout their website, they portray themselves as being more deeply committed to the Bible and the Spirit of God than others.

I believe that God wants us to express love to all persons. But sometimes love requires us, according to St. Paul, not to associate, not to invite them in. If, on April 12th, we are engaged against our will by people forcibly entering the campus, I have instructed our students to treat all persons with respect, kindness, and restraint. But I am committed to protecting our campus from being duped by a tactic that is manipulative rhetorically, politically and, ultimately, spiritually. To invite such a group, in the full panoply of their political theatrics, in amongst us, would be the wrong way to expose our students to bad ideas. More importantly, it would subject them unnecessarily to the wrong kind of spiritual influence. I will not do it.

This event will come and go, and soon be forgotten. Still, it is a reminder that we face a concerted battle of ideas in our day, where many are attempting to blur all the markers of truth and moral clarity. But it is not only a battle of ideas. Because of the beauty of our mission and calling, PHC is inevitably a focus of conflict in the spiritual realm. The Apostle Paul warns us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood.” (Eph. 6:12) This reminds us that human beings are never our ultimate enemies. We need to stay close to Jesus first and foremost—not the Jesus of our imagination but the Jesus of the Bible—in order to be equipped with true wisdom for this and all other challenges that we are privileged to face.

I trust you understand and can support this decision. I ask that you hold up in earnest prayer everyone at Patrick Henry College as April 12th approaches. We love our students, treasuring all that God is doing for them in our midst, and we appreciate your partnership with us in God’s work.

In His Name,
Graham Walker
President
Patrick Henry College

covenant college, looking back

2007-04-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

**stephanie, if you are still reading my blog, could you send an email to amanda@equalityride.com**

Backtracking to Lookout Mountain, Georgia:

Our day at Covenant College started with a police escort up the mountain to the school. Covenant College is located on top of a mountain… the same mountain where civil war battles took place and where a subsequent Union defeat occurred. I visited the mountain last summer actually on a road trip with friends, but this visit was anything but leisurely-oriented.

We arrived, filed out of the bus, and were immediately told that if we stepped one foot onto the grass that we would be arrested.

We looked up the hill and saw several tiny faces looking over hedges down at us. They were students peering down watching us. We waited for a while and one by one they slowly made their way down. We waved at them, letting them know that it was okay. And thus it began.

Students eventually poured down the mountain. We probably spoke to over a 100 that day. They all came eager with questions, concerns. They asked amazing questions about gender and sexuality and their intersections. We sat on the pavement, dialoguing and eating lunch together that both the school and the local MCC provided.

Many expressed their opinion that they wanted us to be allowed on campus. Others said they thought the administration made a wise choice. We learned that prior to our visit, the student senate passed a resolution saying that they disagreed with the administration’s choice to not allow us on and felt that Covenant should offer us a hospitable welcome. I met an awesome girl named Sarah there, and we talked for a while about my experiences and our families.

About midday, several riders read aloud the new covenant that we brought to Covenant. This covenant was designed by the Equality Riders asking Covenant College to end suffering of LGBTQ students and to recognize the harmfulness of the college’s policy. Then, Jarrett Lucas, our co director, announced that he was going to simply walk across the grass and deliver the covenant to a member of administration that he had been communicating with.

Then they walked across and were immediately rushed toward by police. They offered out their wrists in front of their bodies and were arrested for simply delivering a piece of paper. I believe the students saw the hypocrisy of their school. They saw that Christ would never treat nonviolent, loving people in this manner. I saw several students weep at the site of the arrests. We then began singing as they sat in the paddy wagon waiting to be hauled off. Many students started singing with us, as most of the songs we sing are Christian hymns, or are songs from the Civil Rights Movement that are learned easily.

I talked with several students about their feelings on the arrest. Many were shocked and didn’t know how to respond. This is good. Having questions and not knowing what to think immediately is a great response to be had.

Several Covenant students led a prayer for us—a gracious prayer full of love, hospitality, and an earnest seeking for truth.

We eventually left and went downtown to a coffee shop and a park. We learned that our riders would be held in jail over night. I met up with Sarah again, and we talked with Curtis in the park for over an hour. She then joined me for dinner at a local restaurant. We eventually delved much deeper into my spiritual approach in general. She asked questions that I was almost afraid to answer because many conservative Christians are quick to criticize Queers for the answers that some of us have.

Q: “So, to you… what is the purpose of marriage?”

A: “Well, quite honestly, I am not sure that there is one…But I can see how a couple would want to announce their commitment to one another before God. I’m fine with that.”

Q: “So you don’t think that there is a hell?”

A: “No, I don’t. I don’t think my God would ever do that to anyone.”

Q: “Do you think that sex before marriage is okay?”

A: “Yes, as long as it’s done wisely. Knowledge about what you’re doing and being responsible is always the most important thing.”

There are certainly many people on the bus who do not believe any of these things. But these beliefs are mine, and I was going to tell her the truth. She had a really hard time understanding same-sex attraction… which I thought was a foundation, an understanding that didn’t need to be touched. But, it really amazes me the things that students don’t know. I have talked to several people who thought AIDS magically appeared in gay men. I talked with students who didn’t know that same-sex love was just that—love.

I am really frustrated with people saying, “They are a private institution. They have a right to have these policies.”

Yes, they have a right. But there is a higher truth to be sought—a truth that ends oppression and ignorance. And these institutions are not seeking this truth by any means.

That is really all I have to say about our Covenant stop. I walked away with a headache from all of the talking I had been doing, but it was good. I know I made at least one friend that day and planted a seed where there was not one before.

no more closets

2007-04-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

Samford:

Our day at Samford University was beautiful, and I wish I could write more, but alas, there is no time. We had a productive day of dialogue. Students asked insightful questions, and I am impressed with their insight and Christian ethic. From what I understand, an underground Gay-Straight Alliance is in the works there, AND a student is proposing a policy change in regards to the anti-homosexuality clause in their sexuality statement.

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Bob Jones University. This institution, without a doubt, has roots deeply planted in households across America.

Bob Jones is a powerful man with a ministry that stretches far beyond Greenville, South Carolina into text books, and schools, and hearts—all centered on fundamental Christian attitudes. I spent some time learning about this influence prior to our visit at Bob Jones. I also learned a bit about the many prohibitions the school has. I’ll list a few to give you an idea about what kind of university we are dealing with:

• In 2000, BJU finally allowed interracial dating—only if the two individuals involved have parental consent.
• All women must wear pantyhose until 5:00 PM.
• Skirts must be worn to class at all times. They must go to the knee.
• Jeans can only be worn in the dorms.
• Hair styles must be appropriately feminine or masculine depending on gender.
• Students are only allowed to leave campus with a chaperone. Seniors can leave or be chaperones as well.
• Men and women have different curfews—women’s earlier.
• All dates must have chaperone (a woman or a married couple) and until recently, this chaperone had to be the female’s parents. Now, the male’s parents are permitted to chaperone.
• BJU claims they have no gay students, yet there is a very large myspace group for LGBT alumni from Bob Jones.
• Internet access is very restricted at BJU.
• There are always 4 people in a dorm room, one is the prayer captain. This role is essentially there to keep an eye on the students in the room.
• No physical contact on campus unless a man is offering his arm (this rule is unspoken, from what I understand)
• Everything is “checkable” such as clothes, books, video games, music—meaning held to strict scrutiny. Students are not even allowed to listen to Christian contemporary artists.
• Shorts and tank tops are never allowed in public.
• No cussing. No books or movies a student owns can have any curse words.
• Students cannot view a movie that has a “higher” rating than PG.

I knew that if civil disobedience was to take place, I wanted to be a part of it. It has become my lifelong mission to dismantle oppression and to understand the systemic interconnections of it, and no campus thus far has been as blatantly oppressive to all marginalized groups as Bob Jones University.

Today we held a small meeting in a local park prior to our arrival on campus. Some members of a right-wing fundamentalist group joined us and later joined us at the university. They are called Operation Save America.

Later we had a group dialogue on what it means to be violent, and if this group’s actions were indeed violent. They did not scream. They did not shout. They did not throw a Bible in our faces. However, what they did was smile while telling lies. Smile was spewing hate in the faces of our riders and community members. They asked the protestors across the street to come to our side of the sidewalk with their AIDS signs and bullhorns.

We stood in silent vigil for about an hour and a half while preachers from two different sides did a call and response type of action. They would yell certain things and the congregations would respond with “amen,” “hallelujah,” or whatever the preacher asked them to respond with. I’m not sure if writing all the things that were said is even worth it—if it’s even fruitful to put these things back into existence. But, it is a reality that needs to be remembered and understood, and not forgotten—for it is what sustains us in the midst of hurting us as well. People who speak hate prove the necessity of why it is so important for people to speak love.

The preachers told us we were dying of AIDS. Their signs said we were dying of AIDS. We even had conversations with people who thought that AIDS just magically appeared in gay men—they had no understanding that it was a disease that is contracted from another person who has the disease. One preacher even made it over to us to yell at us before the police asked him to leave. Signs read: “Three Gay Rights: 1) AIDS 2) HELL 3) SALVATION” “No Water in Hell” “Homosexuality is sick, wicked, and an abomination before God”

We absorbed a lot of hate during this time. Dean, our logistics coordinator was standing beside me with his partner Gary. They are both older individuals. One of the preachers began to jeer at them—saying that their love would never be a real love. I reached over and put my hand on Dean’s back as a sign of support. The preacher then replied, “That woman touching you on the back: She doesn’t love you anymore than Satan loves you!”

Shortly thereafter, our direct action came. Three of us—all women I want to add—attempted to walk on the university bringing very specific things. Both Bronwen and I created art pieces to present to Bob Jones University to hopefully display in their art museum. As it stands, the art museum on their campus is the only place that an openly LGBTQ person can be, as it is a 501(c)(3). I created a piece called “no more closets” about the fear, pain, and suffering that comes with having to hide and lie about one’s identity if that person is LGBTQ.

Bronwen created a piece about the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy because she was discharged from the coast guard for being a lesbian. Katie walked on reading something very unique. Mandy, the stop coordinator for BJU, along with a few Equality Riders, created a parallel of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses to present to BJU. These theses were created to charge BJU as an oppressive institution for LGBTQ students and to ask them to live up to their Christian responsibility to end suffering.

We each walked on one by one and were arrested and taken into a van on the BJU premises. We looked behind us while in the van and saw hundreds of students standing outside the chapel to see what was going on. (By the way, it is extremely difficult for students to look out of the campus because it is guarded with a tall wrought iron fence in the front and barbed wire around other parts).

Just before we walked on, a preacher was yelling to the women of the crowd, saying what a shame it was that we would never know the real love of a man and that we would never have babies in our wombs. With that said, I was very proud that we three women were walking onto an institution that holds similar values. And, every time I am arrested, it is a bit different, but today I felt empowered and beautiful.

We were processed in the van, driven about 20 feet to the sidewalk and let off. I think our fines are between $400-$500. The arrest was very interesting, considering I feel like I have sort of received both the worst and best of arrest situations thus far. I spent 26 hours in a jail where no one treated me as a human, and I spent 10 minutes in a van where the police continually thanked us for being cooperative and nonviolent. It is perplexing to me that all of these different police stations have such different protocols that they are seemingly “bound” to. And, Greenville has the capacity to treat us as people.

We joined the vigil line again once we were released. Flip Benham and his crew from Operation Save America knelt before us and prayed at one time. What he was saying, I am not quite sure.

a member from Flip’s group

We went to lunch, and returned. We heard that a white supremacist group had promised to come, but they never showed. A few others dropped by from time to time to “debate” with us or condemn us.

Not one student came out to talk to us. The reality of this happening, we knew, was very slim. As we know, there are strict rules keeping students on campus, and probably even stricter ones prohibiting them from talking to us.

Regardless of whether or not we got to utter one whisper to a BJU student, I know that we have made an impact. The BJU community knew that we were there and were forced to think about the issue. They knew that we brought a message that said God loves you and affirms you just as you are as a LGBTQ individual.

And this is a message that some never hear in an entire lifetime.

AP article
AP photo

goodbye, first amendment

2007-04-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

It has taken some time to write an entry about our stop at the University of the Cumberlands because the circumstances were so outrageous there that none of us honestly knew what to think about it in a whole, definitive way. And, I am still attempting to grasp the events wholly now.

As soon as we pulled up to the school (in Williamsburg, Kentucky), we saw a sea of police cars and policeMEN. Tons of them. Everywhere. We stood up getting ready to get off the bus. The first couple of riders got off and were quickly ushered back on to the bus by the police and administration. Then, a member of administration got on the bus with us and told us that we (Soulforce) had declined the offer to come on campus. This was completely untrue. We never decline an offer to come on to campus unless the offer is unfair. But, in this case, we never even declined!

We began counting the number of policemen and cars. We counted over 30 cars and just as many policemen, if not more. All of which were there because a group of self-professed nonviolent young adults were coming to walk onto a Christian campus and talk to students. We all get off the bus and lined up to begin a silent vigil outside the school, standing and waiting to be let on campus.

But, as soon as we begin lining up, the officers tell us we have to keep moving, that we are “impeding traffic” on the sidewalk when there is clearly at least 3 feet of sidewalk behind us. We walk up and down for a few moments and realize that it is entirely too difficult for all of us to keep moving as a group. So, we decide to break up into groups of 2 or more and stand a few feet a part from each other so that the police would not have a reason to tell us to keep moving. If we were not standing as a group but as a couple of individuals, we thought we would be okay. But no, none of us could stop walking. The police told us that even being in pairs and standing still was unacceptable.

When a few of us attempted to just stop and talk to students, we were quickly told to keep moving. A fellow rider, Curtis, and I stopped in front of a few students sitting on some steps just to chat. A police officer approached us, stood in between the students and us, and crossed his arms so that he was blocking us from speaking to the students. Curtis and I, shocked, just stepped to the side and continued our conversation. Then the officer said, “Go on now. Ya’ll students go on inside. There’s nothin to see out here.”

One of the riders, Jake, a former rider from last year… did stop completely on the sidewalk. Up until this point, we had been circling/pacing back and forth in front of students to continue talking to them. But, Jake stopped individually, and the police told him that he was impeding traffic as a sole citizen standing on the sidewalk. He replied that his first amendment rights were being violated, i.e. freedom of assembly, and they arrested him. Shortly thereafter, the police also arrested 2 Cumberlands students for doing the same thing.

jake

cumberlands student

So for several hours, we walked back and forth, up and down, the sidewalks with students who would walk with us and talk with us. I made an attempt to look at every police officer straight in the eye when I passed him, especially when the students were asking me why I could not stop and talk to them.

I walked about 10 miles that day up and down sidewalks talking to students.

Later that day we held a rally at the courthouse and a student who was expelled from the university for being gay spoke. We were also told that we could not stop on the sidewalks at the courthouse. We spoke to the mayor and had that changed. All in the meantime, a group of about 15 policemen stood in a huddle together in the middle of the sidewalk, forcing people to walk around them.

Protestors also showed up with signs. Many riders had never experienced that before--just the mere sight of seeing anti-gay protestors. Living in Arkansas essentially all of my life, it has always been a reality--an expected and integral part of activist work.

Reflecting on the trip, I am having a mix of outrage and understanding. And, I am truly learning to live and comprehend nonviolence. I now understand why we didn’t stop and protest the police for violating our first amendment rights. You must assess your goals, your intentions. We came to talk to students. If we are all arrested, how can we fulfill our mission? How can we bring light to the dark?

We later heard from an attendant at a gas station in Williamsburg that the police arrested a truck full of men with bats on their way to the courthouse that day. We would question the validity of this rumor if our Executive Director hadn’t received an e-mail from folks in Williamsburg telling us that they would meet us with bats in hand if we did indeed decide to come…

dr mohler: rescind your statements!

2007-03-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

Gay Activists Arrested

Tuesday March 27, 2007 1:46 AM

By DYLAN T. LOVAN

Associated Press Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Members of a gay rights group were arrested Monday after staging a sit-in at a Baptist seminary whose president is drawing criticism for his comments on prenatal treatments that would influence a child's sexual orientation.

The group, Soulforce, attempted to meet with the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's president, the Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., an influential evangelical leader.

Twelve were charged with criminal trespassing - a misdemeanor - and booked into jail, Louisville police said.

The sit-in in front of Mohler's office lasted about two hours, said Jarrett Lucas, a co-director of a Soulforce tour that is visiting Christian colleges.

The group did not contact officials at the private campus in advance of the visit, said Lawrence Smith, the seminary's vice president of communications. Smith said a small group left when they were asked by police to leave, but the others stayed.

"As far as I could tell they were not unruly," Smith said. "It's my understanding that they did not resist arrest, but they refused to leave the campus when they were asked to leave."

An Associated Press reporter was escorted off the campus.

Lucas said the 12 who were arrested were expected to be released by the end of the day.

Smith said Mohler was not on the campus during the demonstration.

Other members of Soulforce were joined by the Fairness Campaign, a Louisville gay rights group, at a protest later Monday on a sidewalk off campus. About a dozen people carried signs and sang during the two-hour demonstration.

Mohler irked gay-rights supporters by asserting in a recent article that homosexuality would remain a sin even if it were biologically based, and by his support for a hypothetical medical treatment that could switch an unborn gay baby's sexual orientation.

Mohler has said he wrote the article "intending to start a conversation." Lucas said group members wanted Mohler to rescind his comments and publicly apologize.

"Some of us were raised in a southern Baptist tradition, so for him to deny his own constituents simply a conversation - we wanted to go have him hear our voice - and we were denied that," Lucas said.

Soulforce, a nonprofit organization based in Lynchburg, Va., has organized several national tours to religious and military colleges to protest their attitudes about homosexuality. Members also were arrested earlier this month during demonstrations at Oklahoma Baptist University.

I was one of the 12 arrested. Our treatment in the Louisville jail was MUCH better than Waco. Not even comparable really. But, I mentally prepared myself for the arrest before hand so that I would be ready for the worst.

I sincerely hope Dr. Mohler realizes that he is treading on uneasy ground and advocating for the use of eugenics to annihlate an entire group of people- a group of people whom I love and with whom I identify. This is reminiscent of eugenics movements within the U.S., genocide abroad, and even the Nazi extermination of people based on orientation, physical characteristics, religion, and political views. He has presented a grave moral concern with grave moral implications. If you haven't read his blog on this issue, go read it now, and write him a letter demanding that he publicly rescind his statements and apologize for the harm he has created.

in between

2007-03-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we leave for our next stop, leaving behind three of our riders who have to stay and do community service in the city of Clinton. We are sad to be separated now for the second time. We have a lot of amazing stops coming up, and I cannot wait to write about the next one. Check back for an update on Monday night or Tuesday.

Below is the multimedia portion of our Human Rights presentation that I am a part of:

letters from Baylor students

2007-03-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

"I'm sure you know the impact you and your team has made on Baylor, myself, my fellow students, etc., but I think it's important for you to be reminded. I truly think that you guys are doing something amazing, and you are inspiring many. Thought I'm quite terrified about what's going on with my future, I'm ready for it. I think what you guys are doing is amazing, and it was an honor for me to have the pleasure to get to know you guys.

I love you guys,
Sean" (the student arrested with us)

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"I am writing to say that I am truly sorry and ashamed at the way Baylor University treated your cause. Regardless of whether or not we agree with your cause, we ought to realize that if Jesus were on this Earth He would be embracing the idea of dialogue. I am very proud of the way your group acted non-violently; you are doing very well to stand up for what you believe in and I have nothing but the utmost respect for your group. Please know that not all of us at Baylor retain the frame of mind that the administration indicated. In particular, the students of the Social Work department are outraged. Thank you so much for your efforts and may God bless."

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"Dear Soulforce,

I am a student at Baylor University and i just want to start out by saying how embarrassed i am for how Baylor and Waco treated you. I did not receive the whole story, but from what i understand is that Baylor did not allow you to handout certain materials and say certain things. Also, the stories in jail disgusted me of how inhumane gods creatures could be to one another. I am so sorry for your troubles you had while in Waco. Thank you for coming and trying to open the eyes of stubborn non-compassionate Christians in this community. Be careful on your next adventures across the country."

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"Dear Equality Riders,

I would like to thank you for coming to Baylor as part of the Equality Ride. Baylor as a whole is far too closed-minded on numerous topics, human sexuality being one of the most prominent. For a school that claims to encourage diversity, Baylor has a shocking amount of institutionalized discrimination, especially against other religions and LGBT issues. University policies are so oppressive that students and faculty cannot speak their minds or even be open about themselves for fear of persecution, like former advisory board member Tim Smith, who was fired because of his sexual orientation, or former student Matt Bass, stripped of his scholarship for the same reason. I am also deeply sorry that the Baylor administration is not being more accepting of your presence.

Not a day goes by when I do not question why I came to Baylor. The fact of the matter is that I did not realize just how bigoted Baylor was until I came here, and it just seems to be getting worse. In anticipation for your visit, the administration even sent an email to the entire University basically warning us not to talk to you and pointing out a passage from University policy that states that "it is expected that Baylor students will not participate in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching." I am personally appalled by this passage, and as a vehement supporter of equal rights, quite sickened.

I hope to find and speak with some of your group tomorrow, but if not I at least will have shown my support for your organization through this email.

Ride on and keep up the cause. Do not let the widespread bigotry of this University discourage you."

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"First of all I would like to apologize for the deplorable way Baylor University's "powers that be" and "policy enforcement" treated all of you. Secondly, I would like to thank each and every one of you for all you've done here in Waco. Although your mission was to draw attention to the hatred and violence directed at LGBT individuals by a large portion of the Christian community, I believe you have all succeeded in something far greater. I believe you've given many of us at Baylor University who watch with gritted teeth the intolerance this institution has the courage to stand up for we believe in and many of the LGBT students here who live a closeted life the courage to come out. You have planted the seed of bravery in many here to rise up in peaceful resistance against a terrible wrong. Thank you."

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Dear Soulforce Equality Riders,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for stopping at Baylor. I feel like we've been at a stand-still for gay rights activism here on campus because of the fear the administration has spread to its students. However, since your stop at Baylor, I have felt the energy on campus to organize a gay-straight alliance and I could not thank you more for getting the ball rolling. I have heard so many reactions to your presence, some appreciative and some critical, but overall it has been a positive outcome and will hopefully only get better in the future. I apologize for the negative treatment you received and the unwelcome message our school gave to you. I enjoyed getting to know some of you and will keep you and your courage in my mind daily. You give me hope and inspiration for the future. Please keep in touch with us and keep us in your hearts as we will you.

Mississippi College

2007-03-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today were spent in Clinton, Mississippi. Yesterday, the riders visited Mississippi College, while I stayed at the hotel trying to process through everything that happened to me in Waco. I got very little sleep in jail, so I took some time to rest and come to terms with the entire experience.

Our situation in the Deep South is getting very, very serious. On March 20, Clinton police officials informed us that we would be cited if we “attempt[ed] to gather or travel in a group of four or more” near the campus of Mississippi College. Lt. Thomas R. Ruffin acknowledged that the department’s actions “could be construed as conflicting with constitutional allowances,” but said that our presence in Clinton presented “valid public safety concerns.”

Mississippi College organizer, Stephen Krebs, contacted his father and friends in Washington, D.C. who had significant connections to the ACLU, and the ACLU wrote a detailed letter to the Clinton Police Department citing many instances where cities tried to do the same and were sued. The police department called Stephen and told him, “You play the game well,” and took back their restrictions.

Five Equality Riders were arrested at Mississippi College as they attempted to walk on campus and dialogue with students. One rider, Amy Scott, walked up and shook the hand of a student and tried talking with him as he repeated Bible verses to her. He was still talking when the police cuffed her and took her away.

That very day, the riders had to go to trial, where things got even grimmer. Our lawyer told the riders that things were very serious, and that their fates were in the hands of the judge. The lawyer told them, “I don’t think you understand how serious this is. There is a distinct possibility of you getting jail time up to 6 months.”

The judge reviewed their records and found that three of the riders had previous trespassing charges and gave them 4 days of community service in Clinton. Also, if they are arrested again anywhere in the country in a period of 2 years, a warrant will be issued for their arrest in Mississippi and the three who have previous records will have to serve 20 days in jail and the other two riders will have to serve 10 days in jail. The lawyer said that the judge could tell that arrest was not deterring us, so he made the punishment harder… and he told us not to be surprised if punishments only get worse from here on out.

That’s not all. This latter part is taken from a letter written to the police department of Clinton-

“Last night, while in the town of Clinton, Mississippi, we experienced a distressing form of police intimidation. After a day of dialogue at nearby Mississippi College, we parked our bus in downtown Clinton. We were waiting for the return of some of the members of our tour from area coffee shops. While waiting, a police vehicle approached the bus with its lights flashing, signaling us to move. Our bus driver immediately turned down the nearest road and into a church parking lot to await the Equality Riders. The same officer once again followed us into the parking lot, with his lights on and asked our driver to speak with him. The officer was quite aggressive in demanding that we "go on and get out of town." Our driver explained that we were still waiting on the remainder of our group, but was still forced to move the bus. At that time, we drove and parked the bus in a lot that was previously designated by the city of Clinton. For the third time, a police vehicle approached us with flashing lights. The officer who approached us was extremely indignant and asked us "what is your problem? We have already given you breaks today." Our driver explained that we were in the space the City provided for us. In response, the officer asserted that our driver would be arrested if he were to take us anywhere else and not leave the city of Clinton immediately.”

As you can see, the law is hell-bent on upholding the discrimination and homophobia that pervades the South. The judge had no mercy. The police had no mercy. At this point, we are all considering civil disobedience in a whole new light.

The next time we are arrested, the judge could very well give us serious time. Last night, we all went to bed with heavy hearts and racing minds.

This is getting so real.

A two-day long stream of consciousness

2007-03-22T18:02:00.001-07:00

I sit here weeping in my hotel room in Jackson, Mississippi, reading through e-mails, facebook messages, and opinion pieces to the Baylor newspaper…all of which say, “I am so sorry. I am so sorry for the way Baylor has treated you.”

And, I know that there is hope. I know that redemptive suffering works. It calls us to higher places of understanding and truth. And, as I reflect on my time at Baylor, in the Waco community, and on my 26 hours in the McLennan County Jail, I feel, without a doubt, that I am helping make change.

Our first day on campus of Baylor University was very positive. Several students approached us to have dialogue, and we experienced almost no negativity from students. That morning, Dub Oliver, the VP for Student Life at Baylor, sent an e-mail to the entire student body informing them of our visit. He told them that Baylor was very comfortable having conversations on human sexuality and that many opportunities were given to students to discuss sexuality; the Equality Riders’ offer for dialogue was not needed, and Baylor did not need their discussion controlled by us. I knew that this “comfort” Mr. Oliver spoke of was not true, so I asked several students if discussions of sexuality ever happened on campus and if any forums for such dialogue were ever presented to students. The answer was a resounding “no.”

I would like to ask the administration what comfort they are speaking of when no avenues are present and when I receive e-mails from Baylor students telling me that they fear physical violence from other students just because they are gay. Why do I meet with closeted transgender students who can’t transition at Baylor for fear of being kicked out? If Baylor is so comfortable, why are people suffering? Why is untruth festering like open sores? Why is there so much fear?

That afternoon we held a community rally at Heritage Square in downtown Waco. About 35-40 community members and students came, and we had a great group dialogue on what it would take to start a LGBTQ organization at Baylor and/or in the Waco community. Several students said they wanted to see this happen and were willing to help start a Gay/Straight Alliance.

That night, we had a community potluck at the PFLAG building in Waco. Many community members came and brought dishes. It was probably the best potluck I have ever seen. We presented a “community billboard” to Charley Garrison, pastor at the Waco MCC. A little background: Since around Christmas break, Exodus billboards have been up in the Waco community, standing as symbols of fear to the LGBTQ community there. Exodus is an international ex-gay therapy organization and a leader in the ex-gay movement. The billboards read, “I questioned homosexuality. Change is possible.” We wanted to help doing something in Waco that helped the community look past these symbols of fear, so we had everyone create their own community billboard with their own stories and testimonies.

The next morning (Tuesday), many of us went to the chapel service held for seminary students and others went to a local coffee shop to talk with students. We were featured front page on the Baylor newspaper, the Lariat, and the entire article was fabulous, comprehensive, and pretty unbiased.

And what happened the rest of the day until around 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday is still a blur to me, but blogging it will help me process. At 1:30 p.m., we met with students at the fountain mall area on campus. We presented a Gay/Straight Alliance resource kit to the students there interested in starting a campus organization. Then, we all (about 35-40) of us walked single file line to the steps of the Chapel with chalk in our hands.

I stood at the steps and talked about those suffering at Baylor at the hands of a policy and an administration that will not recognize the inherent worth of all of God’s children. I then explained how we came to remember Baylor Freedom, and underground LGBTQ organization that once existed on campus and was silenced by the administration. Baylor Freedom used to “chalk” on campus announcing their meetings/organization, but the administration would have the maintenance wash away their chalk almost as soon as it was written.

We came to say the things that Baylor Freedom never got to say. We came to affirm LGBTQ students on campus. We began chalking right there at the steps of the chapel. We wrote bible verses and messages of love and peace.

“I am a Queer Christian, and I am loved.” “Baylor: What are you doing to support your gay students?” “Our God is a God of love, peace, and understanding” “Affirmation Saves Lives” “Gay? It’s ok. God loves you.” “I am a follower of Christ, and I am gay.”

We wrote and wrote… probably for 5-10 minutes until plain-clothes police offers came and told us we had to stop. Five Equality Riders and one Baylor student continued chalking as an act of civil disobedience, and one by one, we were arrested and brought to the end of the sidewalk, facing the chapel and all of the chalk in front of us. Students rushed to the doors of chapel and peered out at us. Many stopped and just watched. We then began singing “We Shall Overcome.” I was the last one arrested, and as I stood in the line looking at the picture before me, I wanted to cry. It was so, so beautiful. Students had stood with us, chalked with us, affirmed us and each other. This was empowerment. As we were loaded into the paddy wagon, the group was forced to disperse and leave campus.

It becomes traumatizing from here on out. We were brought to the police station in Waco and segregated by sex. Our transgender male rider was forced to be processed with the females. We checked in our things, and then we had to strip naked in front of an officer, while they did cavity searches. It was humiliating and dehumanizing and completely unnecessary for a criminal trespassing charge. We were given black and white striped jumpsuits and put in a holding cell for over 10 hours. No one looked at us. No one spoke to us. We had no idea what was going on. At about 10 o’clock, I realized we were probably being kept overnight. I fell asleep on the metal bench, and at about 2 a.m.—twelve hours after we were arrested—they took us out and processed us. They took our mug shots and fingerprints. They asked us questions, including “Do you have any homicidal tendencies?” followed by “Do you have any homosexual tendencies?” I got to make a phone call to my mother, and I had her call Kourt for me. I wanted to cry on the phone with her and tell her how awful it was, but I didn’t want her to worry. Kourt later told me that she asked him if he thought we were okay. He said yes, but he was also really worried. And with good cause. We were told we had to stay overnight to see the judge in the morning who would set our bail.

I was then put in a tiny cell by myself, while Mandy and Shawn were put together in a cell next to me. The room was probably about five ft by six ft with one tiny bench just big enough for sitting. I tried to fall asleep on it sitting up, but my feet couldn’t touch the floor, and my legs just kept falling asleep.

I then decided to sleep on the concrete floor, wrapped in the scratchy wool blanket they gave us. I fell asleep for a little while, and then the door opened, and I was given a baloney sandwich for breakfast at about 4:20 in the morning. I ate the bread and went back to sleep. Shortly thereafter, they put another young woman in the cell with me. She immediately curled up on the floor. I no longer had room to sleep the way I had been sleeping with her in there, so I laid with my feet touching the toilet, and my head at the very edge of the door. I woke up about 8:00 a.m. and watched the clock out the window for about two hours. At ten, they herded us all out and had us watch a video that read us our Miranda rights. We were arrested at 2:00 p.m. the previous day and were just now being read our rights… over a television screen. I was one of the first people to see the judge, and he set our bail at $2,000. I almost fainted when he told me. At every other stop before this, no one had to get undressed, no one had to stay overnight, and the bail was no more than about $120. I made a phone call to my grandmother asking her to call my mom and tell her the news because I couldn’t reach my mom.

I was put back into my cell with the woman. She went to sleep again but would have tremors every once in a while and would make strange noises. I learned that she was picked up for having a rather large amount of crack on her, and I figured she was probably tweaking out. Her hair was very thin, and her eyes were sunken in.

I just sat and waited… and watched the clock from time to time. We had no idea if our friends on the outside knew of our bail requirements. We could not call cell phone numbers, so we had no way of calling them. At about 1:00 in the afternoon, I thought I was going crazy. I began crying and praying because I thought we would have to stay another night in a tiny cell with no communication from anyone. I began to reflect on institutions in general and felt ashamed of the way people treat others. Nursing homes, mental institutions, prisons. They strip away every sense of personhood. I also felt ashamed that I was crying the way that I was, knowing that so many people experience this as an integral part of life. Who was I? A privileged, white, middle-class kid that could not tolerate a day in jail? I prayed more, telling God to help me get through. I thought of Soulforce founder Mel White, who was arrested and did jail no bail to understand suffering for justice. I pictured the Freedom Riders, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., James Peck, Gandhi, activists, crowds, faces. I was there for justice, I reminded myself.

I pulled myself together, and then an officer came and told Mandy (next door) that her girlfriend left her a message to call her. Apparently her girlfriend kept calling until they would deliver the message. My mom later told me that she tried to call and leave me a message, but they refused to deliver it to me. At 3:00 p.m., Emily, Mandy’s girlfriend told us that bail had been paid and we would be getting out within the hour. (We could talk to each other through the walls)

We had to change clothes again in front of an officer, but with all of us in the room at once. This was extremely uncomfortable for Shawn, who identifies as male, and was forced to undress in front of females.

When we walked out the front door of the jail, our friends ran toward us holding a huge banner that read, “We love you” with our names on it. I called Kourt, and he said he had been really worried. The West Bus prayed for us the night before. We loaded in the rental cars and left. The bus had to leave earlier that morning to get to Mississippi for the next stop.

The riders who stayed behind told us about the transformations that had been taking place at Baylor. Students had been chalking the letter “Q” in orange on campus with meeting dates and times inside the Q. Q is the Soulforce Young Adults symbol. It represents the new generation who will actualize Queer equality, and it is also representative of a quote by theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote:

“The church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community. 'Do good to all men.' In both of these courses of action, the church serves the free state in its free way, and at times when laws are changed the church may in no way withdraw itself from these two tasks. The third possibility is not just to bandage the victims under the wheel, but to put a spoke in the wheel itself.”

Baylor students are now starting an organization/forum for discussing sexuality and faith and calling it Q. I bawled my eyes out when my friends told me this. Everything I ever knew about Baylor was changing. The fear was falling away. The students had found their voice.

Apparently, earlier that morning at 8:00 a.m., several Baylor students came to the hotel we were staying at asking if they could help pick us up from jail. And the night before, about 10-15 students sought the riders out to eat dinner with them and have coffee with them at the local coffee shop.

When my friends told me all of this, realizations of suffering, of peace, of truth flooded my veins, and I felt a sense of humility overwhelm me. In training on nonviolence, we were told that we seek a place of higher understanding between the adversary and the individual bringing truth. I see how that functions now. I have been brought to a new place of love and understanding, and I am so humbled. I am so grateful.

I will post some excerpts from the letters I have received soon.

visit to OBU, part 2

2007-03-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

On our second day at Oklahoma Baptist University, we assembled a community tapestry made of individual pieces of fabric that community members brought to us. The pieces had bible verses on them and names of individuals who are openly LGBTQ or who have been expelled from universities like OBU for being LGBTQ. We sewed all the pieces together and attempted to present the entire tapestry to the school, but our group was stopped on our way to the Geiger Center on campus, and 6 were arrested by the school.

The group had to drop the tapestry on the ground, but two OBU students picked it up and carried it into the center for display. (It was taken down two minutes later)

On both days of arrest, it took around 6 hours to get everyone out of jail. I am police liaison, so I spend a lot of time waiting in jails and getting bail money, etc. It is an interesting experience. I am finding that the police are generally annoyed with our presence.

The latter part of the second day, we hung out with students at a park in town and had great dialogue about how to be effective allies on campus.

Right now we have a two-person film crew following us so that they can create a short documentary to pitch to networks soon. They want to create a four-part series or something of the like about the ride. They are hoping to stay through the entire stop at Baylor all the way through our stop at Mississippi College.

Amy and I have been working tirelessly on our next stop at Baylor University. We have a lot of fun things planned like a community rally and community potluck. We are also attending two chapel services on campus. I think it's going to be a great stop if we can just help empower the LGBTQ and allied community at Baylor and Waco.

More to come soon. <3

P.S. the Clinton School gave me a scholarship!!!

catch up

2007-03-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'll play catch up on everything as quickly as possible. Our internet in the Habana Inn (the largest gay resort in the Southwest) is rather crappy. But the Habana is pretty much AMAZING. I would be happy to share with you all why it is so wonderful perhaps on the phone, but I cannot on the interwebs unfortunately.

Our stop at Central Bible College in Springfield, MO was exasperating but powerful. Two of our straight allies were arrested as they walked with Bibles in their hands on campus to talk to students. We held an all-day vigil outside of the campus hoping students would come speak to us, but we learned that the school told the students to stay as far away from us as possible. (There was likely a severe punishment). Two students drove around all night looking for our bus at hotels and finally found us. A few Equality Riders stayed up talking with them. It's ridiculous that students have to drive around Springfield, MO all night searching for dialogue.

Where is the Christ in Christianity?
Where is hospitality?
Where is communication?

Later that day (the 12th) I received this e-mail:

Dear Amanda,

I am delighted to relate that the Admissions Committee voted enthusiastically and unanimously to offer you admission to the Clinton School for fall 2007 with a scholarship offer which will be detailed in full in the official letter which you will receive soon from our Associate Dean, Dr. Tom Bruce. I am so excited and hope that you will decide to accept this offer and join us next fall. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Congratulations!

SO YAY! I'm officially going to the Clinton School of Public Service to receive a Master's of Public Service.

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Today we arrived on campus at Oklahoma Baptist University and attempted to attend chapel service with the students, but we were stopped by the police as we stepped off the sidewalk to the chapel walkway. Five of us were arrested. The school would not even allow us to worship... and we were forced to stand on the sidewalk the entire day trying to engage students in dialogue.

We'll be back tomorrow to try to have more conversations and to assemble a tapestry to present to the school.

Sorry that this is so short. Gosh, updating this thing is so hard. I'll try harder, I promise.

pre-CBC

2007-03-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

We are in Springfield, MO, which is reminding me a lot of Arkansas. You can feel the religious oppression here. Everything has Jesus fish on it. The restaurant we ate at last night only served beer with half the alcohol content because it was located next to a church. I picked up a Christian monthly magazine that said Global Warming was caused by the voice of God. We went bowling at a Christian bowling alley that played only Christian music and had a "Warning, Jesus Christ is in here" sticker on the door. Get the picture yet?

Tomorrow we will engage in civil disobedience at Central Bible College. I will let you all know how that turns out, but for now I want to leave you with a few thoughts from our stop at Dordt.

At least two students came out to us as LGBTQ during our visit, and one student sent us this e-mail after we left:

“If someone had told me at the beginning of the week that I would be deliberately making and spending time with LGBT people, I might have told them they were crazy and laughed it off. I admit that I never had any intention of attending any of the presentations or the panel discussion when you guys were here at Dordt. But because one teacher decided that my Sociology class should attend the presentation instead of holding class, my life has been changed, and in an amazing way! My mind and my heart were really truly opened. Never has something really stuck with me this hard or so clear. Everything I experienced in the past couple of days has been so amazing. I met some incredible people and I have come to cherish every second that I spent in their company. God works in mysterious ways. I felt God pulling at my heart and now I understand why….

“I want to encourage you in that no matter what happens, you have friends here at Dordt College that are praying for you the whole way on your journey. You are warriors on a new battlefield. You are a few against many. But your strength is with each other and with God and you will shake the foundations of this nation and the church down to its core. For with God on your side, who will be able to stand against you? Whether you reach an entire campus or just one person, you have made an impact and you have initiated change. And that is something that will stick for life like it will with me. These past two days and the friendships I’ve made will stay with me my entire life.

“What you are all doing is courageous and brave. You face opposition and adversity and yet you continue on. You are all amazing people. I wish you all safe travels and I will pray for your safety as you will probably face communities that were not as pleasant or “accepting” as what you experienced at Dordt. May God watch over you in everything you do and protect you with his loving hands. And may He work in the hearts of those who so strongly stand against you. I love you all and God Bless!”

Dordt College

2007-03-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we awoke in Sioux Center, Iowa to a bus painted with vulgar words and painted signs… and a painted gourd in the shape of a phallus. This unwelcoming “welcome” was not indicative of the overall presence we felt at Dordt College, however. We were welcomed there and had great conversations with students throughout the entire day. The college actually cleaned our bus for us and told us how deeply sorry they were that someone in the Sioux Center community had welcomed us this way.

What we learned at Dordt is that most students just needed to put a face to the issue of homosexuality. Many had never met openly Queer people who were also Christian and completely okay with their own sexuality. I found that a lot of students just wanted to talk to me about my life, the Equality Ride, and just random stuff not necessarily related to scripture. I only opened my Bible once while on campus.

They were hungry. Hungry to understand human connection, human worth, and our value as all of God’s children.

My host for the day, Emily, was AMAZING. She asked wonderful, thoughtful questions, so thank you Emily.

Today we spent the day in the community meeting with students and community members. A professor from Dordt came to meet the riders at the mall with a student from her class and asked us how she could better prepare her students for work in criminal justice with LGBTQ issues in mind. We talked to her about the high numbers of LGBTQ youth who find themselves homeless and thusly often get into crime to survive. We gave her a list of terms/identifications so that her class could better understand how to talk about LGBTQ people.

We then met with students at a coffee shop in town called Butler’s… that was totally cool and allowed us to leave our buttons and pamphlets at the counter. We played games with students and just talked to them about their general feelings about our visit. They seemed really willing to continue the conversations about homosexuality and faith at their college. I hope this comes to fruition.

I could definitely see a Gay-Straight Alliance being established at Dordt if enough willing and courageous people came forward. The administration said that they wanted to know how to better serve their same-sex attracted students. A GSA would be a perfect way to fulfill this.

Tomorrow we head out for Springfield, MO to visit Central Bible College. We get our new bus driver and our new bus! (Our bus broke down, so we’ve been in a rented one)

More updates will come from Springfield, where do not expect such a successful and open visit :\

Equality Ride Training in Minneapolis

2007-03-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

Thanks for wanting to follow up on my experiences. I have found that I am going to have to MAKE myself write in this, as I am no longer conscious of time. Everything goes by so quickly, and there is so much I am always supposed to be doing.

We arrived to training in Minneapolis late because of a huge snow storm… so we were three days behind schedule. We missed the majority of the media training with GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). But we learned how to use our personal stories with the media and what sound bites are effective in portraying our message.

The following day (the 5th) we worked with Peterson Toscano, an ex-gay survivor. He is an activist and performer now who travels sharing his experiences about the ex-gay movement and its falsities. You can check out his blog at http://www.a_musing.blogspot.com/

He gave us insight into how the ex-gay movement operates and the rhetoric its leaders use because we will be speaking with many students who feel like Queerness is something that is chosen and is something that can and should be changed. Many of the campuses we are visiting are having ex-gay speakers come before the Equality Ride arrives, which is quite indicative, in my opinion, of the weakness of the schools’ stance on homosexuality. This shows that our visit brings fear. It brings anxiety. It brings the recognition that the school is wrong and is desperately seeking ways to validate their oppression. Peterson shared with us a stark reality about the majority of ex-gay program seekers: they are overwhelmingly gay, white men who have found their effeminacy problematic in seeking leadership positions in the church. Peterson said that one of the reasons he wanted to cure himself so badly was because for once in his life, he saw a door shut on him… a door that said “you cannot have everything you desire.” And he responded, “what do you mean, I’m a white man. I get what a white man wants!” So, ultimately many men seek reparative therapy to gain power in the church that they are denied.

Later that day we had extensive nonviolence training similar to the training Freedom Riders experienced. We watched segments of Eyes on the Prize to gain a better understanding of how simulated nonviolence training works. Phil Lawson, the brother of the famous Civil Rights activist Jim Lawson, spoke to us about his experiences with civil disobedience and direct action. He actually learned about nonviolent resistance from white band mates who refused to eat or pay at a local lunch counter unless he was served along with them. He said a lot of really cool things, which I wrote down in a notebook, which I’ll hopefully transcribe here soon. I also talked with him about my thesis, and he gave me suggestions to seek the experiences of Black communities at my stops to better understand the culture at all of our stops.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lawson
http://www.soulforce.org/article/151 (phillip lawson)

We simulated some things we might encounter like screaming in our faces, insults, threats, etc. This gave us a better understanding of how it feels to be the person saying these terrible things. It is not easy, and it comes from deep-seated fears. So when dealing with these actions, we must understand the places they are coming from. We must know that saying hateful things is hard on the soul of those speaking them as well.

Our last night, we ate Chinese food, the same dinner that the Freedom Riders ate the night before embarking on their ride.

So overall, training was amazing. Leaving my boyfriend Kourt was not so amazing, but I have great friends to take care of me along the way. I am at peace knowing he is on a journey as well… and when we return, we will have grown so much.

Ok, next post is about Dordt!

Comments!

my sponsorship plea!

2007-01-28T16:58:00.000-08:00

In March, I will be taking a two-month bus journey across America to
schools that ban the enrollment of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students. There are currently over 200
colleges and universities in the U.S. that have policies prohibiting
these students, most of which are private religious or military schools.
I will travel to these schools with approximately 25 other young adults
bringing a message of hope and healing to the students there, both queer
and straight.

Many of these colleges are living nightmares for LGBTQ students who are
forced to hide their identities, go to harmful "reparative therapies,"
or be expelled. Many cannot reconcile their faith and sexuality and
commit suicide on the very campuses that cannot accept them.

I am writing to ask for your support, be it any kind that you have. If
you do not have money, that's ok! But, your blessing and words of
encouragement would mean a lot to me. My presence on the Soulforce
Equality Ride will cost $3,500. I am seeking donations to help pay for
this cost. You can visit my rider page at
http://www.soulforce.org/amanda_harris and make an online donation if
you are able.

Also, be sure to check out my blog to read updates about my journey. I
am writing an Honors Thesis comparing the Freedom Rides of the
1950s-1960s to my own journey, so blogging will help me remember
everything. I encourage you to read and reply:
http://www.equalityride07.blogspot.com

Equality Ride Training

2007-01-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

*looks around sheepishly* um, hi? Well, it has taken me a week to finally get the nerve to sit down and write this entry. I am rusty on blogging. It has been a long time since I've written fluidly about myself, so logging all of my experiences will be an adventure in and of itself. I'm sure you all will notice a gradual progression in my openness and writing abilities by the time the Equality Ride is over.

I returned from Equality Ride Training (in Austin, TX) on Monday. What a sad day, to be quite honest. Leaving there meant leaving an experience that has spun my reality on its head. I learned so much. To say that is an understatement really. I found the kind of movement I have been looking for. A movement of love and peace that acknowledges all kinds of diversity. I typically call this the Queer Rights Movement or Queer Liberation Movement, but others prefer various terminology. I will, however, call it pretty much anything but the "Gay Rights Movement." (I'm sure I will find time to rant on this later). The Equality Ride is going to equip me with the tools and methods I will need to be a part of this movement.

Two buses will be embarking from Minneapolis at the beginning of March--one going East, one going West--to academic institutions that ban the enrollment of openly Queer students. I am on the East bus. But, both buses synergized at the training. Bringing that many perspectives into one place was frightening, but liberating. We are all Queer activists of sorts, most of which very vocal and visibile in our respective communities.

Throughout training I began to realize that comparing my journey to the Freedom Rides was going to be an act of the heart. Logistical notions are really not comparable at all. It would be tiresome to examine these logistics when one journey sought to end transportation segregation, the other, homophobia in academic institutions. But, the principles, the values, the whole framework of these journeys is fundamentally the same. I began to see that both rides rely on nonviolence NOT as a tactic, but as a way of being--a way of living. This nonviolence, as Gandhi and King have described, transcends acceptance and brings the adversary and the nonviolent vessel to a new place of peace, where both have learned from one another.

I am currently pursuing an understanding of satyagraha (wiki it if need be). Tonio, a fellow rider, gave me a piece of inspiration, and I've been reading it to myself every day. I want to truly understand nonviolence and peace.

Drinking a cup of tea, I stopped the war. Peace is every step.