"The end is not near"

Hey Folks once again I would like to introduce myself. It has been a long time since I have posted anything on this and I am reaquainting myself with it because the person that I was when I posted those things earlier this year is mosdef not who I am now...

That being said...here we go!!!

My name is Colin I am a disabled cisgender queer person of color and queer person of religion my gender pronouns I go by are gender neutral which are they/them...

I was a 2010 Equality Rider earlier this year and I have not had the moxy to begin writing my experiences, what I learned and how I experienced them on that journey...That is not until now. I have been very busy since then and have not even had the courage to sort through what I am thinking and experiencing as I process the ride. So lets start off with the beginning...

I have had the most glorious privilege in the entire fucking world. That privilege was to get on a bus for two months and talk about faith, gender identity/expression, and sexual orientation to college students who had very limited voices on campus if they were allowed to have that voice at all. Through this experience on the 2010 Equality Ride...I had the privilege to see the very image of God revealed ot me by so many different people. I have seen God in places where you least expect them to be. In little conservative communities in the south where just a lone affirming congregation exists. That have had their house of worship shot up, set on fire, death threats and more.

I have found God revealed to me in a little church community in the northern woods and fields of Houghton New York. When the students who were working at our hotel greeted us with smiles, hugs, cookies, and volunteered to get us food from their cafeteria after 1100 at night because we hadnt had anything to eat. I found God in their smiles, in their eyes, in their laughs and hope that they had with our visit.

I found God in a beautiful man that drove Soulforce 1 every single time I got to talk to him it was like church holy scriptures flowing out of someone that will probably never know the profound affect they have had on me! I found God in experiencing his warm hugs that he gave us every time we got back from a rough day at schools.

I found God in my familial atheist and non-christian brothers in sisters who constantly showed me what christ is through every thought and deed. I saw God in the corn fields of Nebraska and Iowa. In the stillness of my room by myself. I found God in the face of prejudice and discrimination of counter protesters in Phoenixville Pennsylvania, in the faces of 4 beautiful clergy members as well. When they allowed us to enter their houses of worship and fed us. when tehy offered us the opportunity ot have communion and a short time of worship.

The Equality Ride has taught me so much. I am still finding out ways in which it has changed me. This is what I have discovered thus far...

I am no longer some kid who talks about justice, what it looks and feels like, how it could be emplemented...but I do it!!! It resonates from my inner being. I am no longer this shy confident person who uses my extroversion as a mask to cover up my insecurities...I am a confident, divinely crafted authentic person who is worthy of love and to love other people...I am stronger and more convicted. I dont take peoples justifications as to why they are oppressing other people...


as a result of the Ride I have seen amazing things take place on the campuses we have been on...one campus took all of their recommended resources for reparitive therapy down with a week of us going. I have seen students use their voices and be vessels of change on college campuses. I have seen students mobilizing and organizing for QSA's on their campuses to start taking place and start carving spaces out on campuses that are going ot be safe places for them to come and talk about their faith, gender identity/expression, and sexual orientation.

I have seen people and have done things I would never have thunk that would be possible in my entire life...It has been such a humbling experience to be a part of this experience.

this is where I am now since have allowed myself to let the process begin!!! you may see more...this has been

Colin and im sigin off!!