Frequently Asked Questions for Reporters about the Equality Ride

What is Soulforce Q?
Soulforce Q is the young adult division of Soulforce. Soulforce Q works to uplift the lives and liberties of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, working primarily with individuals between the ages of 18 and 28.

What is the Equality Ride?
The Equality Ride is a project that takes young LGBT advocates to colleges and universities in order to have meaningful conversations about fairness and diversity. Traveling by bus, Equality Riders, as they are called, engage their peers and promote open dialogue about faith, gender and sexuality. Schools they visit are contacted months in advance and invited to host the Equality Ride. Some schools choose to work with them, and they go on campus for presentations, panel discussions, classroom visits, and meals together. Some schools, however, choose to reject dialogue. In such cases, civil disobedience becomes a possibility, which can result in arrests. The 2008 route is comprised of 15 Christian schools, including some faith-based historically black colleges as well. With the notable exception of Morehouse College and Spelman College, the institutions we are visiting have policies that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students and staff.

Who are the Equality Riders?
They are young adults, age 18 to 28, from all over the world. Some are Christian, some are from other faith backgrounds, and some do not identify as religious. This year, there are 17 Equality Riders, most of whom were selected to be participants in the spring. Some are students and some are not affilitated with any institution. The Co-Directors are full time Soulforce Q staff. Other Equality Riders are volunteers; they are not paid for their work.

What are the primary goals of the 2008 Soulforce Q Equality Ride?

  1. We often hear on campus, "I have never met any LGBT people." The Equality Ride accomplishes this first and most important step towards reconciliation: making the humanity and spirituality of LGBT people real to students across America. With dignity and scholarly dialogue, Riders convey to students and administration that real lives are affected by the harmful rhetoric promoted by many campuses.
  2. The Equality Ride and other campaigns of Soulforce Q work with young adults to build community and nurture leadership. The Equality Riders give voice to students that are silenced on campus. We draw together LGBT students and allies to form communities of informed dissent and safety.
  3. There are a handful of scriptures used to condemn LGBT people. We discuss the Biblical scholarship that affirms LGBT people, heard less often if at all, on conservative campuses.

How can I schedule an interview with the Equality Riders or students?
Contact the Equality Ride Co-Directors:

Katie Higgins, Katie@soulforce.org, (843) 259-8876

Jarrett Lucas, Jarrett@soulforce.org, (215) 917-3703

What happened today on the Equality Ride?
Each day participants will update the Equality Ride website with accounts of their time on campuses, podcasts and video when able.

Can I use the photos that are posted on the website?
Yes. If you visit our Resources for the Media page, high-resolution photos are available. Please attribute photo credit to the Soulforce Q Equality Ride.

Printer Icon Printable version Email Icon E-mail this article 

Email Article: Frequently Asked Questions for Reporters about the Equality Ride

Friend's Name:
Friend's Email:
Your Full Name:
Your Email:
Send a copy to yourself
These email addresses will be used to send on your behalf the Soulforce article titled Frequently Asked Questions for Reporters about the Equality Ride along with any personal message you add below. We will not add either of these email addresses to our email list from this form.
Add a personal message: (optional)