SOULFORCE YOUTH CAMPAIGN AGAINST PROP 102

Given my article yesterday, I was delighted to see a press release from Soulforce about a 96 mile walk across the metropolitan Phoenix area. The purpose was to talk with as many Arizonans as possible about how Proposition 102 would negatively impact young people.

According to the press release, the idea for the walk came to Meg Sneed after participating in a three-day walk for breast cancer research. Sneed is a cancer survivor herself and found distance walking both grueling and empowering. She hoped that a similar walk would inspire young people to join the conversation about Arizona's priorities.

Sneed and the six other lesbian and gay young adults who walked with her are members of Soulforce Q, the young adult division of Soulforce which is a national civil rights and social justice organization. The mission of Soulforce is to cut off homophobia at its source -- religious bigotry. It applies principles taught by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Meg and Soulforce Q collaborated with Equality Arizona and two other statewide organizations, Arizona Together and Wingspan, in the planning and execution of this campaign.

Their walk allowed the young "equality walkers" to share their perspectives with ordinary citizens, elected officials, and local community organizations, including the Tempe Community Council.

Julie Roberts, Programs Director at Equality Arizona said, "These young people truly amazed me. Their dedication to this walk and their sense of purpose was incredible."

C.J. Minott, who was one of the walkers and will be returning to University of Arizona campus this fall to continue his studies in Psychology said, "I realize now just how much difference I can make in my community."

Congratulations to Meg and her fellow "equality walkers." You accomplished a really good thing here. Keep up the good work.

If you want to check out Soulforce, go to: Soulforce.org