Friday, April 20, 2007

NYC and US Congress Honor Equality Riders

Here's good news from www.soulforce.org

Soulforce Equality Ride Honored in U.S. House of Representatives

The 2007 Soulforce Equality Ride has been honored by the House of Representatives and written into the congressional record. On Monday, April 16, Rep. Jerrold L. Nadler of New York addressed a tribute to the Equality Ride and its Riders to the Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

"Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary group of young adults -- The Equality Riders -- who have dedicated 2 months of their lives, traveling thousands of miles, visiting 32 colleges and universities around the country and talking to countless students, faculty members and staff in pursuit of social justice.

The spirit of The Equality Ride was born out of the recognition that homophobia is globally pervasive and that no country, state, city, community or school escapes its reach. The Equality Ride offers a unique opportunity for student activists to dedicate their time and energy in the pursuit of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered equality through the practice of nonviolent resistance and educational campaigns.

I embrace the spirit of The Equality Ride and these leaders in the fight for social justice. The participants of the Equality Ride as well as its supporters have changed numerous lives, raised awareness and challenged notions regarding homosexuality through both on and off campus activities.
While conducting their work on the various campuses, riders confront some of their harshest critics and engage in structured dialogue with the academic community through classroom presentations, panel discussions, school-wide forums and film screenings as well as informal interactions. Outside of the college and university campuses, communities have welcomed the riders to share in worship, potlucks, fundraisers and meetings.

I applaud these riders and their supporters who have tirelessly waged a campaign of truth based on the nonviolent practices of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi to end the cycle of fear and misunderstanding that causes this vicious form of prejudice. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, it is my great honor to pay tribute to these visionary young people and congratulate them on their courage, determination and dedication."

New York City Issues Proclamation Recognizing the 2007 Soulforce Equality Ride

The City Council of New York honored the Equality Riders on Saturday, April 14, with an official proclamation.

PROCLAMATION
Whereas: The Council of the City of New York is pleased and proud to honor Soulforce on the occasion of its 2nd Annual Equality Ride; and

Whereas: It is the tradition and custom of the New York City Council to honor those individuals and organizations that have enriched us with their contributions, and today we are delighted to recognize the brave participants of the Soulforce Equality Ride for their tireless devotion to the fight against homophobia; and

Whereas: The purpose of the Soulforce Equality Ride is to travel to various religious colleges and engage the students, faculty and administrators in a conversation about the damaging effects of homophobic doctrine; and
Whereas: We proudly celebrate the 50 young adults who have dedicated two months of their lives, traveled thousands of miles, and visited a total of 32 colleges and universities around the country in the pursuit of social justice as it pertains to freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from religious and political oppression; and

Whereas: The participants of the Soulforce Equality Ride will pursue their goal through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance; and

Whereas: Homophobia is globally pervasive and no country state, city, community or school escapes its reach. We recognize the damaging effects of homophobic doctrine - the false notions that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities are sick and sinful - and we applaud these participants and their supporters who have waged a campaign of truth in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi; and

Whereas: We embrace the spirit of the Soulforce Equality Ride and its empowered participants, who have changed countless lives, created an environment of understanding, and liberated the oppressed; and

Whereas: It is with profound gratitude that we recognize the participants of the Soulforce Equality Ride for all they have done on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people throughout our nation. Their passionate advocacy is instructive and they are worthy of the esteem of all New Yorkers; now, therefore

Be it known: That the Council of the City of New York honors Soulforce and recognizes the exceptional service of the 2007 Equality Ride participants.
Signed this 14th day of April in the year Two Thousand and Seven

Christine C. Quinn, Speaker - For the Entire Council
Rosie Mendez, Council Member 2nd District, Manhattan

Help the Riders reach their sponsorship goals during this final week of their journey

From the news above and the inspiring stories over the past six weeks, the 2007 Equality Ride has been a huge success. Yet as we know, the road to LGBT equality is not an easy one. Activist work on this scale comes with real expenses.
To help pull together the necessary funds to cover the Equality Ride, each of the 52 Riders set a goal of raising $3,500. The Riders have been out there on the front lines since early March and they continue to work hard, with seven more schools to visit before coming home. During this final week, can you help those who are still working to reach their sponsorship goal?

To view the Riders who need additional supporters to reach their goal click here.

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