In a civil rights revival movement this spring, communication and culture doctoral student Jonathan Rossing will put his studies on hold in the hope of changing educational policy on a national scale. \nRossing and 29 other activists will join the Equality Ride and travel by bus to some of America's most openly anti-gay colleges and universities in an attempt to engage in dialogue with administrators and students about homosexuality, policy and personal values.\nThe Web site of SoulForce, the group that organized the Equality Ride, lists more than 50 private colleges and universities which have policies discriminating against homosexuals -- including at least four schools in Indiana.\nThe Indiana Wesleyan University Student Handbook, for example, states "those acts which are expressly forbidden in Scripture, including ... homosexual behavior, premarital sex, drunkenness ... will not be practiced." Many more schools nationally have equally explicit exclusions. The Brigham Young University Honor Code states: "No one known to be guilty of overt and active homosexual conduct is to be enrolled or permitted to remain at Church Educational System." \n"We have seven weeks," Rossing said, noting there are many more schools with anti-gay polices than they will be able to visit. Included in this tour will be service academies and conservative Christian schools that have a history of explicitly marginalizing gay students, Rossing said.\nThey have their work cut out for them and, at a rate of about two to three schools a week, the group has to be selective in where it travels and aim for the most impact.\nThe Ride aims to address these issues, educate and open minds but is not expecting immediate policy change, Rossing said. \n"We hope to meet with administrations, panels and possibly classes," he said. "Any form of conversation is good. It gets people thinking and then maybe questioning the ways in which they act. There are students at these institutions that are gay, living in silence and having to hide. I want to let them hear a voice that says, 'You know what? You are OK.'"
Past Meets Present\nLess than 50 years ago, black students were fighting for the right to be seen as equal. Now homosexuals are fighting for that same right, Rossing said. They are legally barred from many institutions with government support. This issue is not new, Rossing maintains, it has just been applied to a different group.\n"Just because these are private institutions does not mean that they can openly oppress people," he said. \nRossing said the Equality Ride attempts to bring to light the fact that homosexuals are indeed being oppressed. \n"Homosexuality as a bias is still acceptable," Rossing said. "Racism is still here, but it is publicly unacceptable. The fact that these institutions have these policies is wrong, regardless of the fact that they are private. Homosexuals are being viewed as second-class citizens and it's not right." \nJust like the activists of the 1960s, Rossing said, "We are not going to take this. People are still enforcing the 'evil adjectives' and that is oppression, no matter how you look at it."\nThe Equality Ride is a revival of the Freedom Rides that took place during the 1960s to promote racial integration. Those efforts were met with hostile responses, including a bombing that killed some of the members. This ride anticipates a less violent reaction. \n"The era of violence is past. It is not as frequent or tolerated," Rossing said.\nHowever, he is unsure of the reception many institutions will give them. \n"Extreme reactions will come from extreme groups, not the institutions," Rossing said.
Behind the Bus\nSoulForce, a group that promotes the integration of sexuality and religion, as well as many other issues related to tolerance, is sponsoring the Equality Ride. The group is founded on the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, advocating tolerance and stopping spiritual violence. The SoulForce Web site, www.soulforce.org, provides additional information. \nDoug Bauder, IU's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Center coordinator, is an active member. Having heard about this ride early, he said he immediately thought: "Jonathan would be great for this. He knows his activism and his history and has a genuine concern for closeted gay students." \nAfter some initial skepticism, Rossing decided to take a semester off from his communication and culture doctoral studies and apply. \n"I applied and decided to go within a week," he said. \nThis movement has sparked people and schools to talk. The group visited the U.S. Naval Academy in October as a pre-ride preview, and they were not well received, Rossing said. The Naval Academy forced the group off the premises, according to the SoulForce Web site. \n"For me, this is about support. I aim to lend support and give a breath of hope to those who aren't getting any positive or redeeming support," Rossing said.
The Ride of a Lifetime\nIn summation of his drive to join the Ride, Rossing said, "We want to increase awareness and educate people in an attempt to gain straight allies and make them question how condemning they are being. We don't think the policies will change immediately. However, change will come. If a school is welcoming of us, which it looks like some are, then our message will be heard. It betrays a lot if they just don't want to talk. They know they need to participate in this cultural dialogue."\nIn March, Rossing and his fellow riders will meet with some of the original freedom riders and train for seven weeks on the road. \n"Where we go will dictate what we do," he said. "We will definitely visit those that are aggressively against homosexuality, such as BYU and the service academies." \nBut to change policies, Rossing realizes the Equality Riders must be prepared.\n"You can't just go out and do this," he said. "If you want to have an effect, you have to prepare and plan, especially if you want to change minds"
