Fellow Northern Router Matt Comer captured this compelling testimony and posted it online. Many, many props go out to him and to a heartfelt thank-you to Milfred, who we had the pleasure of staying with in Utica, NY.
The New York Right to Marry campaign is coming to a close. The Northern Route said goodbye to Utica, New York this morning and arrived in New York City not too long ago. Tomorrow brings a day of tying up lose ends, following up with the folks we met along the way, debriefing our experiences, and planning for the future. I’m excited to meet up with the 24 other young adults if only for a day.
As my van traveled through the North Country, we documented our progress and the stories of some of those we met along the way. Some of the Right to Marry participants already shared their thoughts on why marriage is important (here and here) and soon we’ll have the stories of New York citizens and couples to share with you too.
For now, here’s a look at our time up north:
Another round of interviews with Right to Marry participants talking about why they would like to see marriage equality in New York. Fellow rider Matt Hill Comer and I have been working on a video to document our travels in the North Country which will be coming soon.
Sunday morning began as many Sundays do, in a church. Our Canton hosts graciously took us to their local United Methodist church. After our daily ritual of Dunkin Donuts coffee, we went back to Dan’s to prepare for the afternoon pot luck. Local supporters came out to hear our stories, ask questions, and find their own ways to get involved. A PFLAG mom shared her concerns of whether her daughter’s union will be legally recognized. All of the residents seemed very energized by the Walk A Mile In My Shoes idea and I’m confident Senate Majority Leader Bruno can be expecting a few more pairs!
As we travel across the state, one thing continues to strike me: normalcy. As I walk into each new house that we stay in, I feel as if I’m walking into my own family’s home. Framed pictures line the walls, children’s artwork hangs on the refrigerator. I wonder what the marriage equality opponents would say while standing in these homes. Would they see the destruction of the institution of marriage or the enrichment of it? I have to imagine it would be the latter.
I am constantly inspired by the men and women of New York that I met along the way and grateful for the excellent model of commitment and marriage which they have modeled for me, even in the absence of legal recognition.
By now we are a few days into the New York Right to Marry campaign. With grassroots activism comes limited resources and internet isn’t a top priority. Luckily we’ve been blessed with houses and churches who have internet to share and here in Plattsburg, we found a great coffee shop–Koffee Kat–to sit in and work while talking with locals and of course, drinking some coffee!
I sat down with a few RtM participants before we departed Albany to talk about why marriage matters. Here’s what they have to say:
After an exciting, albeit wet, day at the Saratoga County Fair, the northern van joined up with Albany’s MCC church for an evening forum featuring a documentary screening, discussion of our work ahead, and sharing of stories. I for one was very encouraged to meet the locals of Albany and hear their stories. As our evening was winding down, four young adults made their way into Emmanuel Baptist Church. The conversation quickly moved from marriage equality to Biblical morality as we cleared out of the church.
Matt, Katie, Cat, Rob, and I sat on the stairs of the church and continued to talk about faith, God, and identity. I found many commonalities with these individuals: growing up being taught that being gay is sinful, being told that change is possible and necessary, and struggling to stay focused on God in the midst of so much uncertainty. I did not find commonality in their insistence that accepting one’s sexual orientation and seeking to live that out in a healthy and Christ-centered way is sin.
At the fair today, I met a variety of people–many excited to meet us, a few interested to learn what we were about, and one or two who were very antagonistic. The time I spent with these four individuals reminded me more than anything of the importance of what we are doing. Beyond the rhetoric and the lobbying organizations there are individual lives hanging in the balance. Lives of people like Eli, Steven, Crystal, and Priyali who have been caught in the crossfire, caused to think that their ability to love and support is shameful and sinful.
My love is not a sin.
And so tomorrow we wake up and will meet with Senator Farley, Assemblywoman Sayward, and Assemblyman McDonald to remind them of the New Yorkers in their districts who need to know that they are valued. These lawmakers have the opportunity to be a powerful voice. I wonder where Eli, Steven, Crystal and Priyali would be if they knew that God, their church, and their community loved them and supported them?
I’m excited at the prospect of living in a country that would never even question my right to marry in he first place. And I’m excited at the role that these lawmakers and the other citizens that we meet will play.
I’ve formatted our West bus Equality Ride videos for iPod. You can download them using the links below and then all you have to do is add them to your iTunes Library. They’re all ready to go. Thanks to Adam Britt for hosting the files.
University of Notre Dame
Wisconsin Lutheran University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University - Idaho
I will add videos from other stops as soon as they’re available.
Enjoy!
First of all, I apologize for the severe delay in bringing you this video. It was completed while I was still on the ride but a series of unfortunate events delayed the release. Thanks for sticking with us and continuing to be interested in the Equality Ride.
As a note, Soulforce will be co-sponsoring a New York Marriage Ride this summer from July 14-27. You can visit the site for more information. Soulforce also has an important Ex-Gay Survivors conference coming from June 29 - July 1. Many Soulforce participants have experienced the pain caused by so-called ex-gay therapy. Hopefully this conference can be a place to start the healing process for the many people who have been victims of anti-gay rhetoric.
And here our video from BYU-I
March of 2007 marked the Equality Ride’s second visit to Brigham Young University. The administration again refused to negotiate on-campus dialogue. Stop organizers Matt and Kourt knew that students were ready and waiting to talk about issues of faith and identity that are literally life-or-death for many LDS people. They organized presentations, dinner meetings, and discussion groups for our three days in Provo, UT. I would estimate that over a hundred people participated in the events while we were there. The Equality Ride brings a much needed conversation to campuses unwilling to have such a conversation on their own.
On our last day there, we moved our events closer to campus: a six-hour march around campus to make ourselves readily available to students, a press conference at the main gates of the school to let the community know of BYU’s refusal to dialogue, and an evening rally in nearby Kiwanis Park to give a voice to the Brigham Young students.
Brigham Young University stop organizers Kourt Osborn and Matt Kulisch collected over 55 pages of concerns and grievances regarding LGBT students at BYU. Many students personally know LGBT people who have suicided or attempted suicide because of the fear and disconnection generated by BYU and LDS policy and doctrine around sexual and gender identity. These concerns are very real.
Kourt Osborn and his mother decided to bring these concerns to campus when university administrators refused a meeting to discuss them. In the following video, Kourt speaks about his experiences during the events planned around the Brigham Young University campus.