Renewed Purpose: At the end of a long road, young perseverance shines a light

Sitting in Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso after our 14th school stop at Union College, the only thing that came to my mind was one thing: I was tired. I was tired from the lack of sleep and countless hours on the road. I was tired of watery hotel coffee. But most of all, I was tired at defending my humanity.

But despite the times I felt as though the pressures from the Ride became too heavy of a cross to bear, I found myself inspired on a day-to-day basis by the genuine passion embodied in the 24 Riders around me. From the effortless grace that Amanda Lee Genaro possessed in front of large student audiences who sometimes could be hostile, to the eloquent words that regularly came from the mouths of the Equality Ride directors, there were numerous occasions that tears formed in my eyes, feeling blessed to be a witness at the sight of love in action (no pun intended). A love, though, not catalyzed by a want for our own personal transformation by placing ourselves in the face of adversity, but defined by our sincere concern for our LGBTQ siblings on these college campuses. The Riders became my constant source of light in places where I did not believe it could exist.

Though sitting in Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, my experience on the Ride was unexpectedly summed up in the simple words of poem by a grade-school young person named LeAire.

Getting up on stage for open mic night with her younger brother and mother who preceded to read the words of a poem that was given no words of praise from her teacher or peers at school, LeAire looked nervous, anticipating the same reaction from an audience of fifty or so onlookers. But once the poem was recited, a loud silence of praise permeated even the smell of coffee beans that engulfed this intimate space – one that, for me, suffocated all the hate I experienced on the Ride:

Ever since I was little I knew I was different
Ever since I was little I was proud
Ever since I was little my mom knew I was proud
Ever since I was little I was made fun of
Ever since I was little the kids would call my family weird
Ever since I was little there was little equality
Ever since I was little I knew I was different
And I was proud

Now that I’m older I know I’m different
Now that I’m older I’m still proud
Now that I’m older my mom knows I’m proud
I am proud, even though kids still make fun of me
Just because I’m different
I still know there is little
Equality

These innocent words of perseverance sum up what, on a grander scale, LGBTQ people face in a world based in the politics of fear and unknowing. Even more telling about this moment, though, was knowing where the words came from: LeAire, a precious girl with the gift of writing who should have never had to experienced any discrimination in the first place.

But LeAire gave me hope that I will feel for the rest of my life. She gave me hope coming off that stage, hugging her two moms and her brother, truly fulfilled by what a family is suppose to be: one of support and devotion . She gave me hope for the day the Equality Ride will no longer need to be on the road, thanks to people like her who will continue the work for LGBTQ justice and equality. But on a personal level, LeAire gave me hope for my own relationship with Brian, my partner who makes me optimistic at the idea of love, the idea of a family someday, and the idea of a future fulfilled by happiness and truth.