Oct 28, 2005  |  By: EARTHA JANE MELZE  | COMMENTS     

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Equality Ride, a new “take-it-to-the-streets” campaign for gay and lesbian equality, descended on the U.S. Naval Academy last week to protest the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. No arrests resulted from the action, despite early threats by Academy officials to detain protesters.

Gay activist Jake Reitan, 23, came up with the idea of a bus tour modeled on the Freedom Rides of the early 1960s after learning of the suffering experienced by gay and lesbian students who attend Christian schools and face expulsion if they are open about their sexual orientation.

Reitan now works as the youth director for Soulforce, a gay rights group founded by Rev. Dr. Mel White and based in Lynchburg, Va.

In the past several months, Reitan has assembled a Web site with links to the anti-gay policies of religious and military schools and has begun recruiting young activists to participate in a seven-week campaign during which they intend to visit 15 religious and military schools to demonstrate for gay and lesbian equality. Their goals are to convince each school to create at least one place where students can safely discuss issues related to sexual orientation and to promote academic freedom by donating books on gay and lesbian issues to school libraries.

Christian colleges agree to meet

As a trial run this spring, Equality Riders visited Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University where they were allowed onto campus and welcomed by muffin-wielding students. The activists spent the day on campus, speaking with students about their lives. They were forced off campus after attempting to donate gay and lesbian reference materials to the library.

After the visit to Liberty University, Equality Ride was contacted and invited to a meeting by the Council of Christian Colleges & Universities, which represents 120 Christian schools.

Dr. Robert C. Andringa, president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, characterized the discussions with Equality Ride as “open and honest.”

“We are aware that most of our member campuses, the majority of which are owned and operated by more than 20 orthodox denominations, will not agree that homosexual practice is consistent with Scripture,” Andringa said. “However, our campuses are educational institutions and we hope that Equality Ride participants will experience good dialogue, even on areas of disagreement.”

Reitan said he is surprised at the immediate, high-level response to Equality Ride by the Christian schools association.

“People who disagree with us are willing to talk if we extend the olive branch,” Reitan said. “I am a Christian and they are Christians, and that is enough of a starting point for them.”

Despite warnings that they would be arrested if they tried to advance their “special interests” at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, more than 40 Equality Riders in colorful Equality Ride T-shirts were allowed onto Academy grounds on Oct 21.

This was Equality Ride’s trial run at a military school.

Many were prepared to face arrest to draw attention to the military’s 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which bars open gays from serving in the armed forces.

Camera crews from major television networks were waiting when the group arrived.

Among the group were two men who had been expelled from the Navy due to their sexual orientation.

Rev. Tommie Watkins was president of his 1997 class at the Naval Academy when he was exposed and forced out. He then had to sue to avoid reimbursing the Navy the money they had spent on him.

“How can I uphold the core value of honor when I am asked to lie about my life daily,” he asked a group of television reporters at the entrance to the Naval Academy.

After a vigil and news conference, Reitan led the group to the checkpoint at the entrance to the Academy. After a brief walkie-talkie conversation, the military guards signaled that the group would be let in. And with camera crews pressing in close, the Equality Riders, now drenched by a cold rain, filed onto the campus.

The group ate lunch in a visitors’ cafeteria and then fanned out to engage with midshipmen who had questions.