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At this writing, 50 young "Equality Riders" from Soulforce are traveling on two buses headed for 32 Christian colleges with policies that silence or exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. Their mission is to "open a dialogue about the painful consequences of discrimination and the religion-based prejudice that sustains it."

The first stop was at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, where "sexual activity with someone of the same gender" is possible grounds for "an employee's discharge or a student's dismissal."

The Riders knew they were opening themselves to abuse, and it came on the first night out. The bus full of young adults, including former students of conservative Christian colleges, straight allies, and gay evangelical Christians, arrived in Sioux Center in the early evening. On the night of March 7th, three vehicles circled the hotel where the Equality Riders were staying, harassing the young adults who were staying inside. In the morning, anti-gay slurs were found written on the side of the bus, along with a hate-filled message on a piece of cardboard: "God does not love feary f____."

Last year Equality Riders received a similar welcome in Cleveland, Tennessee. There community members wrote "fags-mobile" on the side of the bus. Katie Higgins, co-director of the Eastbound bus and a rider from last year commented, "This is the reality created by fear and misunderstanding. It saddens me that people have such hatred in their hearts, but this just demonstrates why we feel called to spread our message of the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings."