When Pancucci heard that the Soulforce Equality Riders, a busload of young adult activists traveling nationwide for LGBT equality, were headed to his California campus, he decided to confront them head-on. He volunteered to show the guests around. “I wanted to make it clear to them that I thought it was a sin, that they could be gay but should be celibate,” Pancucci said.

This year, Pancucci is not only out and proud, he’s also an Equality Rider. And he’s not alone. Six other riders, out of 50, were students at schools on last year’s inaugural bus route.

Equality Ride 2007 includes two buses covering two separate courses. Through March and April, they’re visiting 32 Christian colleges and universities to engage the schools in a dialogue about the damaging effects of homophobic doctrine and to discuss the false idea that LGBT identities are sick and sinful.

Most Christian schools have not been receptive to the civil rights pioneers. In fact, many riders have made national headlines by getting arrested for stepping onto campuses.

But the activists received a different kind of reception Saturday, April 14, at g lounge in Manhattan. When the East Coast Bus arrived in New York City for a pit stop between Messiah College in Grantham, Penn., and Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., the riders were greeted with open arms, an open bar (for those old enough to drink) and official proclamations from the New York City Council, the state Legislature and the U.S. Congress.

City council member Rosie Mendez and representatives for U.S. Sen. Jerrold Nadler and state Sen. Thomas Duane were present to toast the riders. The event was sponsored by glee.com, a new LGBT networking site, and P.I.N.K vodka.

“The looks on the Riders’ faces when the NYC proclamation honoring them was being read is a picture that I will keep in my mind for quite a while,” said Andrew Brewer, co-leader of SoulforceNYC, the umbrella group behind the Equality Ride. Soulforce works to free LGBT people from religious and political persecution through non-violent means.

Katie Higgins, co-director of the East Bus, told the crowd at g lounge about being arrested and harassed along the route. But the most upsetting incident, she said, did not take place on a campus.

The incident shocked Katie’s father, who had never seen that side of his neighbors. “It shows how quickly homophobia rears its head,” Higgins said.

The efforts are working. At Birmingham, Ala., for example, an underground gay-straight alliance was formed as a direct result of the riders’ visit. And, of course, there are students, like Vince Pancucci who come out after meeting the riders.

“In the fall of 2006,” he said, “I started dating someone on campus. We met though MySpace.com and were struggling with sexuality and how to be gay on campus.” When school officials found out about the relationship, the two students were given the option of getting kicked out or voluntarily withdrawing.

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