Kate Riley

I love Fort Collins! Places I suggest you MUST go are the Alley Cat coffee shop (much more than a coffee shop!) and Algiers hookah bar! And the gay bar Club Static is amazing… it is soooo small but everyone knows everyone so you will definitely have fun!

So, we went to Union University to talk them about their anti-LGBT policy and to talk to them about how they kicked two of their students out just because they were in love and happened to be the same gender. Well, they didn’t try to arrest us, and they let us on campus! On a mound of dirt… in the middle of a field. Awesome! Not.

http://www.soulforce.org/article/1074

A mother-son team decided to tag “fag mobile” on our bus. On the upside some students from Lee University came and helped us clean the bus! It’s a beautiful town, but I would suggests all gays stay far away unless you are an activist or can handle being looked down on and treated like a “sinner”.

Not only did Regent University welcome us with about 5 police officers to each Rider (and there were about 30 of us!) BUT the town was just as friendly! Things were okay on Virginia Beach as long as you don’t mind being called a faggot!

The only excitement in Lynchburg is the hate seeping out of Liberty University and Thomas Road Baptist Church.

http://www.soulforce.org/article/1065

Texas A&M was one of the schools which allowed us 2006 Soulforce Equality Riders on campus. Not only did they allow us on to share our views of the military “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy” but they fed us too! And it wasn’t half bad either! Seriously though, this is one of the places on the Ride that I really enjoyed. Usually being around military people makes me nervous because I don’t know how they are gonna respond to my being lesbian, but the cadets and higher-ups we talked to were for the most party VERY respectful and polite.

I was with a group protesting D.A.D.T. It was funny because we were protesting to allow gays in the military and a white woman and a black man arrested me, and it wasn’t long ago that they weren’t allowed in the military either!

I went there for the 2006 Soulforce protest at Focus on the Family. They refused to talk to us and watched us from their towers like we were terrorists! These people are full of hate and a little too crazy for their own good! They aren’t even willing to speak with someone whose opinion is different than theirs!

If you’re gay, then don’t even bother!