The April 22-23 vigil is being organized by Soulforce which regularly demonstrates at colleges and universities that deny admission to LGBT students.

Last month, the Obama administration formally endorsed the U.N. declaration that calls for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, a measure that former President George W. Bush had refused to sign.

To date, almost 70 of the 192 member countries of the UN have signed the declaration.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s Ambassador to the United Nations, was among the first to criticize the declaration, claiming it could be used to pressure countries to recognize same-sex marriage.

“If adopted,” said Migliore, “they would create new and implacable discriminations. For example, states which do not recognize same-sex unions as ‘matrimony’ will be pilloried and made an object of pressure.”

Being gay or lesbian is illegal in nearly 80 countries and subject to the death penalty in at least seven.

Migliore has not replied to a letter from Soulforce, calling on him to take a personal stand against the denigration of LGBT people and to work with the Vatican on respecting the human rights of everyone.

The vigil in New York City will coincide with similar Soulforce actions in Little Rock, Dallas, Phoenix, Detroit, Los Angeles and New Haven, the group said in a statement.

“We want to remind the Vatican,” said spokesperson Haven Herrin, “that the only path to justice is dignity and respect for all people.”

For several years, Soulforce has held the Equality Ride, where members attempt to visit campuses of universities and colleges that refuse to enroll openly gay students.

More than 200 U.S. colleges and universities have explicit policies that discriminate against LGBT students.

That’s exactly what you’ll find out when you catch Equality U, a documentary airing this weekend as the seventh season premiere of Real Momentum, Logo’s documentary series.

The film’s title comes from Equality Ride, the name of the group of brave folks that volunteer to embark on this journey with the shared goal of securing equal rights and protections for LGBT college students on campuses notorious for homophobic policies and practices.

Co-director Jarrett Lucas; 22, from Philadelphia, PA, explains: “In the simplest terms, the Equality Ride is a group of young folks who are willing to challenge themselves and others to strive towards authentic and harmonious community.

“In addition to educating people about gender and sexual diversity, we counteract the abundant and persistent misinformation that is spread about love.”

The engaging and – at times heartbreaking – documentary takes us with these activists as they visit campuses with policies that ban homosexual students from attending or create hostile environments for LGBT students already enrolled.

Next page: 32 students – and one hamster

Fight the power.

But where?

The GLBT community lost big on election day in California, Arkansas, Florida and Arizona.

We respond with lawsuits, with protests, with direct non-violent action in the streets, with denunciations.

We have clout now in high places, the highest, in fact, in the United States.

We have many state legislators and governors, both houses of Congress and the president elect of the United States.

We have bi-partisan support.

We have star-power and corporate influence.

We have wealthy — or moderately wealthy — organizations.

We have sympathetic friends and neighbors and relatives.

We have editorial boards and yes, I’ll admit it, we have liberal-leaning reporters.

We have out and proud people to demand equality.

What do we not have?

We do not have the religious institutions, their leaders and their worshippers.

Groups within the religious community and organizations such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force/ National Religious Leadership Roundtable have worked long and hard to effect change, with some success. But still, again and again and again we lose because questionable people of faith perpetuate lies and myths, finance bigoted campaigns and block reform within their institutions and by our governments.

And too many in the pews believe that faith means accepting, without question, what is said from the altar or written in the church bulletin or decreed from Salt Lake City or Rome.

I’m reminded of a passage in the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. Jesus was in a temple when he turned to his disciples and said, “Beware of these teachers of religious law for they love to parade in flowing robes and to have everyone bow to them as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. Because of this, their punishment will be the greater.”

I’m reminded too of an old nursery rhyme that goes, “Here’s the church, and here’s the steeple, open the door and see all the people.” In too many houses of worship across the country, when we open the doors, we see the people getting indoctrinated against justice and personal liberty. Give me that old-time religion, for GLBTs, can mean long-held prejudice and all the riches to keep discrimination on the law books.

And that old-time promise of separation of church and state has not diminished the influence of churches that bankroll campaigns to thwart equality and turn back our advances.

Institutions that claim to seek to protect traditional families seem committed to undermining families, demeaning love and devaluing relationships.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for one, invested heavily in the fight years ago in Hawaii to defeat marriage equality and, it should come as no surprise, the LDS church invested heavily in the push to eliminate marriage equality in California this year.

A lot of people, myself included, have quit houses of worship because of such actions. But the take it or leave it approach has left the most powerful religious institutions to the rigid, the conservative, the selfish, the hypocritical.

So how do we rise up, fight the power?

For some years now I’ve admired Soulforce for its commitment to direct action to effect direct change. Following Soulforce, we go to the church, open the door, and convince all the people.

We go to the faith-based groups and convince all the people.

We go to the faith-based schools and convince all the people.

This we do within the institutions, as worshippers, as parents and as donors. Step out from the choir and sing a battle hymn, a protest song.

This we do from outside the institutions, as demonstrators, protesters, reformers — whatever word you like for those who agitate for change.

This we do.

Rise up.

Fight the power.

First, bravo to our California friends – their moral indignation is healthy and just.  Second, hooray for those in other parts of the country who have begun to follow suit – let us not stop until every community has mounted sustained campaigns of resistance.

Despite our substantial legislative efforts, thirty states have now passed bans on same-gender marriage.  That should serve as a wake-up call to our movement – one that forces us to consider what we might be doing wrong.

Discrimination does not begin in our courts or in our government – it ends up there.  The fear and misinformation that drives unjust legislation gets its start within society, and the primary source of the problem is the sanctuaries, wealthy mega-churches, and powerful religious institutions of this country. With gigantic and captive national audiences, both Protestant and Catholic churches teach falsehoods that cause voters to cast their ballot against the constitutional promise of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for their gay and lesbian neighbors.

In this election, like so many others before it, the call from the pulpit was clear: We must stop the gays.  As millions of gays and lesbians had their hearts broken, some religious leaders rejoiced in that suffering.  The Rev. James Garlow, senior pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego County, told the New York Times “It was a great victory.  We just saw the people rise up.”

It’s time for all of us to rise up like thousands are doing now in the Golden State and elsewhere.
We are tired of defeat, token change, defending ourselves against charges of moral inferiority, and being told to “wait” in the land we love while liberation occurs in other countries.  Martin Luther King, Jr. acknowledged that real change takes time; yet he also warned against the “tranquilizing drug of gradualism” and instructed the oppressed to demand equality now – not on the convenient time schedule of those doing the oppressing. 

Nonviolent direct action strategies such as marches, vigils, demonstrations, boycotts, public protests, and civil disobedience, seek to create what Dr. King called “healthy tension.”  This constructive nonviolent tension forces those who perpetuate injustice, and society as a whole, to pause, reflect, and consider the ugliness of their prejudices and the indecency embodied in their discrimination.  In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King wrote: “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.”  Public protests empower us and educate those who are still the victims of fear and division.

It’s imperative that we remain nonviolent in our approach.  Although it may provide short term emotional release, it’s ultimately counterproductive to scream expletives at those who have harmed us.  We must refrain from damaging property or trying to destroy the character of others and instead approach those who promote discrimination in a spirit of nonviolence.  As both Gandhi and King taught, we must avoid violence of the fist, tongue, and heart and remember that in truth we are challenging unjust systems, not people.  In due course, we seek to be in community with those from whom we currently find ourselves divided.

So, start organizing now.  Don’t wait on an LGBT rights group to take the lead.  Most of the protests in California were organized by just a handful of people.  You can do it too.  Imagine the productive conversations around America’s dinner tables if the evening news was flooded with coverage of peaceful marches in the other 29 states that ban marriage equality.

In the wake of our recent losses, let’s rededicate our lives to speaking out with integrity and let’s reclaim nonviolent direct action as part of that process.  Let’s understand that the vision of equality belongs to all of us and we are each responsible for taking direct action in pursuit of that dream.  We all have the faculty to be powerful, influential, and prevailing.  Let’s reinvest in our movement for social change, believe in our own capacity to affect that change, and allow the boldness and hunger for justice to grow and contagiously spread to others. 

Let’s take it to the streets.

Jeff Lutes, M.S., L.P.C.,  is the Executive Director of Soulforce, a national civil rights and social justice organization dedicated to freedom for LGBT people through nonviolent direct action. Jeff is also a licensed professional counselor in private practice.  He lives in Austin, Texas, with his partner and three children.

The latest arrests came at Central Baptist College, in Conway, Ark.

Upon their arrival, Riders were met by President Terry Kimbrow, who informed Riders that they were not permitted onto campus and that they would be arrested for trespassing if they proceeded.

Riders began a vigil just outside CBC property but four Riders, who said they wanted to speak with students who had gathered on campus several yards from the vigil, entered onto college property and were arrested for trespassing.

They are identified as Lauren Parke of Seattle, Wash.; Alex Lundy of Syosset, N.Y.; and Katie Higgins and Enzi Tanner, both of Minneapolis, Minn.

They were released after formal charges were pressed.

“It is unfortunate that the school chose to deny us the opportunity to create dialogue on campus,” Lundy said after his release.

“We feel that the message of safety and inclusion for all students, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender is too important to be limited by property lines.”

Following the arrests, a number of students crossed out of the campus to speak directly with the Riders. They were later joined by students from nearby Hendrix College and by Arkansas residents Bob and Mary Lou Wallner, who are featured in the film “For the Bible Tells Me So.”

“I think it’s unfortunate that they intentionally went to jail to make a point,” said college president Kimbrow. “What they are espousing is opposed to our beliefs. That’s why I denied having them on campus.”

The Equality Ride plans to return to the campus on Friday, when the Baptist Missionary Association will be meeting at the college.

The Equality Riders are attempting to enter Christian colleges in the deep South to engage students in a discussion on gay inclusion. This is the third year of the “ride” and young members of the group are visiting 15 campuses.

Last month three Riders were arrested when they entered the campus of Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Tex. Two others were charged when they walked onto the Mississippi College campus. Three Riders” were arrested at Heritage Christian University in Florence, Ala. And six members of the group were arrested when they attempted to enter the chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla.

More than 200 U.S. colleges and universities have explicit policies that discriminate against LGBT students.

Since 2006, the Equality Ride has visited 50 schools, hosting public forums, participating in panel discussions, and taking part in worship services and Bible studies. The goal is to inspire further conversation and to empower students, faculty, and administrators to make their school welcoming to all students.

But the bus tour often has been met with opposition from schools, resulting in the arrests of some Soulforce members.

Two members of the group were arrested last year at the headquarters of Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.

Ten other riders were arrested on trespassing charges after they entered the Bethany Lutheran College campus in Mankato, Minn.

In 2006, 24 Soulforce demonstrators were arrested at a gay “die-in” at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Three others were arrested at Bob Jones University in South Carolina, other were arrested at Covenant College in Georgia, University of Cumberlands and at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky, 

Soulforce members also were arrested at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Lynchburg, West Point, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia which is affiliated with Christian Broadcaster Pat Robertson.

The organizers of the Equality Ride said they use a collaborative approach, writing to college administrators months in advance and inviting them to work together to design programming that examines diverse points of view – including points of view that affirm gay and transgender students.

The Equality riders are attempting to enter Christian colleges in the deep South to engage students in a discussion on gay inclusion. This is the third year of the “ride” and the young members of the group are visiting 15 campuses.

Upon arriving at SAGU, the 16 Equality riders were met by a campus spokesperson who warned them they would be arrested if they came onto the campus.

Three of the riders crossed into the campus and attempted to join a worship service at the chapel. They were arrested and charged with trespassing.

The three were identified as Manny Lampon, 22, of New York, NY; Zak Rittenhouse, 21, of Frankfurt, OH; and Nicholas Rocco DeFinis, 22, of Philadelphia, PA.

Other members of the group were herded to a parking lot and began their own prayer vigil. They were met by dean of students Scott Camp and several students who shared a prayer with the group but told the riders SAGU was not about to change its policy.

“Our hope was that for one day we could erase that line and come together for a genuine and transformational exchange,” said Jarrett Lucas, co-director of the Equality Ride.

Last week, two Equality Riders were arrested for trespassing when they walked onto the Mississippi College campus to deliver a letter from an anonymous gay male student who is currently enrolled at the school in Clinton, Miss.

The letter described his experiences as a gay man on the MC campus where he said he has been the target of anti-gay speech.

Part of the letter read, “I honestly fear that when I do decide to let the public know who I really am, many of the organizations and activities with which I am involved will turn me away.”

Earlier in the month three riders were arrested at Heritage Christian University in Florence, Ala. And six members of the group were arrested when they attempted to enter the chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida.

More than 200 U.S. colleges and universities have explicit policies that discriminate against LGBT students.

Since 2006, the Equality Ride has visited 50 schools – hosting public forums, participating in panel discussions, and taking part in worship services and Bible studies. The goal is to inspire further conversation and to empower students, faculty, and administrators to make their school welcoming to all students.

But the bus tour often has been met with opposition from schools and resulted in the arrests of some Soulforce members.

Two members of the group were arrested last year at the headquarters of Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.

About 20 demonstrators held a vigil outside the headquarters, quoting from some of the FOF statements that homosexuality is “choice” and can be “cured,” that homosexuality is harmful, that gays live shorter lives, and that same-sex relationships threaten opposite-sex marriage.

Following the vigil two protestors entered the headquarters building. Chris Hubble and Leigh Lyon, armed with two dozen yellow roses for Dobson and copies of the Soulforce booklet “A False Focus on My Family” and a DVD letter titled “Dear Dr. Dobson,” asked to see the conservative Christian leader.

When they refused to leave, they were arrested.

Ten other riders were arrested on trespassing charges after they entered the Bethany Lutheran College campus in Mankato, Minn.

In 2006, 24 Soulforce demonstrators were arrested at a gay “die-in” at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Three others were arrested at Bob Jones University in South Carolina. Others were arrested at Covenant College in Georgia, University of Cumberlands and at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky.

Soulforce members also were arrested at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Lynchburg; West Point; the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs; Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla.; and Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., which is affiliated with Christian Broadcaster Pat Robertson.

The organizers of the Equality Ride said they use a collaborative approach, writing to college administrators months in advance and inviting them to work together to design programming that examines diverse points of view – including points of view that affirm gay and transgender students.

Two Equality Riders were arrested for trespassing when they walked onto the Mississippi College campus to deliver a letter from an anonymous gay male student who is currently enrolled at the school in Clinton, Mississippi.

The riders were accompanied by two Mississippi College students. After a warning from MC security, the two students stepped back. The Equality Riders continued onto campus and were arrested.

The letter described his experiences as a gay man on the MC campus, where he said he has been the target of anti-gay speech.

Part of the letter read, "I honestly fear that when I do decide to let the public know who I really am, many of the organizations and activities with which I am involved will turn me away." 

"This letter is a clear indication that there are students on this campus who are struggling to have their voices heard," said Katie Higgins, Equality Ride Co-director. "If the student were to openly express the content of this letter, he would be placing himself at risk." 

In 2007, when members of the group visited Mississippi College Clinton police issued a written warning that "riders" would be arrested for congregating in groups of four or more near the campus, the ACLU of Mississippi intervened, and the Clinton police withdrew the unconstitutional restrictions on First Amendment rights.

However, as the "riders" attempted to depart from Clinton, Mississippi, they were stopped three times in less than 10 minutes by police vehicles. Their driver was subjected to threatening demands to "get out of town." Leaders of six national equality organizations wrote a letter of protest to Clinton Mayor Aultman.

More than a dozen LGBT young adults and their allies are taking part in this year’s Equality Ride, visiting 15 Christian schools throughout the South.

The two women arrested Monday were identified as Caitlin MacIntyre, 19, of Houston, Alex Lundy, 21, of Syosset, NY. They were released after being booked and given a court date.

Last week three "riders" were arrested at Heritage Christian University in Florence, Alabama. And, six members of the group were arrested when they attempted to enter the chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida.

More than 200 U.S. colleges and universities have explicit policies that discriminate against LGBT students. 

Since 2006, the Equality Ride has visited 50 schools, hosting public forums, participating in panel discussions, and taking part in worship services and Bible studies. The goal is to inspire further conversation and to empower students, faculty, and administrators to make their school welcoming to all students.

But the bus tour often has been met with opposition from schools, and resulted in the arrests of some Soulforce members.

Two members of the group were arrested last year at the headquarters of Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.

About 20 demonstrators held a vigil outside the headquarters, quoting from some of the FOF statements that homosexuality is "choice" and can be "cured;" that homosexuality is harmful; that gays live shorter lives; and that same-sex relationships threaten opposite-sex marriage.

Following the vigil, two protestors entered the headquarters building. Chris Hubble and Leigh Lyon, armed with two dozen yellow roses for Dobson, copies of the Soulforce booklet "A False Focus on My Family," and a DVD letter titled "Dear Dr. Dobson," asked to see the conservative Christian leader.

When they refused to leave they were arrested.

Ten other riders were arrested on trespassing charges after they entered the Bethany Lutheran College campus in Mankato, Minnesota. 

In 2006, 24 Soulforce demonstrators were arrested at a gay "die-in" at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Three others were arrested at Bob Jones University in South Carolina, and others were arrested at Covenant College in Georgia, University of Cumberlands and at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky,  

Soulforce members also were arrested at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Lynchburg; West Point; the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs; Oral Roberts University in Tulsa; Oklahoma; and Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which is affiliated with Christian Broadcaster Pat Robertson. 

The organizers of the Equality Ride said they use a collaborative approach, writing to college administrators months in advance and inviting them to work together to design programming that examines diverse points of view — including points of view that affirm gay and transgender students.

Prior to the arrests, an HCU administrator read a letter stating that the university was officially declining their request for dialogue.

On Thursday, Equality Riders met with one student from HCU who described the climate on campus as a “homophobic panic.” He explained that students and staff were discouraged from speaking to members of the Equality Ride.

“The way we were treated today is a clear indication that gay and transgender people are not welcome at this institution. The school’s choice to arrest us shows just how far they will go to suppress the message we bring,” said Jarrett Lucas, Equality Ride co-director. “HCU trains missionaries to go beyond the walls of their school to spread the inclusive gospel of Christ, but today they chose not to uphold the principles they preach.”

The visit to HCU is the sixth Equality Ride stop this year. Now in its third year, the Equality Ride has visited over 50 schools, most of which have been welcoming. At other schools, participants have hosted public forums, participated in panel discussions, and taken part in worship services and Bible studies.

The goal is to inspire further conversation and to empower students, faculty, and administrators to make their school welcoming to all students, a statement from Equality Ride said.

The three women arrested were Caitlin MacIntyre, 19, of Houston, Tex., Katie Higgins, 26, of Charleston, S.C., and Taueret Manu, 21, of the Bronx, NY. The remaining Equality Riders are standing vigil in hopes that students will come out for conversation.

Soulforce Q is the young adult division of Soulforce, a social justice organization that works to end political and religious oppression of LGBTs through nonviolent resistance.

More than a dozen LGBT young adults and their allies are visiting 15 Christian schools throughout the South to engage students in a discussion on gay inclusion.

The six “riders” ignored warnings they would be arrested if they did not leave the campus.  They offered no resistance as police led them away.

This is the third year for the Equality Ride. Unlike previous years, “riders” were not obstructed as they spoke with students at Liberty University and Columbia International.

Initially, Palm Beach Atlantic officials completely refused to allow Equality Riders on campus. The school then suggested a limited meeting.

President David W. Clark’s office told the group that “riders” would be escorted onto campus for a two hour meeting with a pre-selected group of students and staff in an undisclosed location.

It was rejected by Equality Ride.

“Unfortunately, this format is not conducive to reaching out to the Palm Beach Atlantic community in the spirit of open dialogue. Additionally, the LGBT students who need to hear the Ride’s message of love and affirmation would not be reached in this format,” the group said in a statement.

More than 200 U.S. colleges and universities have explicit policies that discriminate against LGBT students.

At Palm Beach Atlantic the student handbook forbids, “sexual activity that is inconsistent with biblical teaching, such as: … homosexual behavior.”

Violators can be punished at the discretion of the university administration.

“[This leads] to a climate of fear and uncertainty for gay and transgender students,” Equality Ride said.

In a statement the university said it “does not ban enrollment of students with same sex orientation. Although Palm Beach Atlantic welcomes students from various backgrounds, the University does require that all students adhere to the behavioral standards outlined in the student handbook, which prohibits activities that are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible.”

As the six protesters were being removed from the campus by police and charged with trespassing, other members of the group held hands and prayed.

Since 2006, the Equality Ride has visited 50 schools, hosting public forums, participating in panel discussions, and taking part in worship services and Bible studies. The goal is to inspire further conversation and to empower students, faculty, and administrators to make their school welcoming to all students.

But the bus tour often has been met with opposition from schools and resulted in the arrests of some Soulforce members.

Two members of the group were arrested last year at the headquarters of Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.

About 20 demonstrators held a vigil outside the headquarters, quoting from some of the FOF statements that homosexuality is “choice” and can be “cured,” that homosexuality is harmful, that gays live shorter lives, and that same-sex relationships threaten opposite-sex marriage.

Following the vigil, two protesters entered the headquarters building. Chris Hubble and Leigh Lyon, armed with two dozen yellow roses for Dobson and copies of the Soulforce booklet “A False Focus on My Family” and a DVD letter titled “Dear Dr. Dobson,” asked to see the conservative Christian leader.

When they refused to leave they were arrested.

Ten other riders were arrested on trespassing charges after they entered the Bethany Lutheran College campus in Mankato, Minn.

In 2006, 24 Soulforce demonstrators were arrested at a gay “die-in” at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Three others were arrested at Bob Jones University in South Carolina, other were arrested at Covenant College in Georgia, University of Cumberlands and at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky,

Soulforce members also were arrested at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Lynchburg, West Point, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia which is affiliated with Christian Broadcaster Pat Robertson.

The organizers of the Equality Ride said they use a collaborative approach, writing to college administrators months in advance and inviting them to work together to design programming that examines diverse points of view–including points of view that affirm gay and transgender students.