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AGLIFF Review 1: ‘Equality U.’

By Michael Barnes | Saturday, August 23, 2008, 02:52 PM

‘Equality U.’

Three stars

The set-up sounded a bit pat: A group of young Christians travel on a Soulforce Equality Ride to Christian colleges and universities to discuss with students and administrators their institutions’ rules against homosexuality.

Of course, there would be the parallels to the Freedom Rides of 50 years ago in the South — the fiery activists, the advocates of nonviolence, the participants who preferred a little on-campus dialogue to media-grabbing civil disobedience. The Riders would face evasive or abusive school leaders; young people willing to exchange ideas and, ultimately, allies among the student bodies of the 19 universities they visited by bus.

And, for a while, those expectations are met in the documentary “Equality U.” Group co-leader Jacob Reitan finds his eloquent, uncompromising speech-making not always effective; equally adamant co-leader Haven Herrin looks more closely at individual situations and teases out more ambiguity. Disagreements about strategy cleave the Riders almost from the start. Yet train a camera on humans long enough — especially in such hothouse conditions — and they will surprise even a viewer who has seen scores of documentaries about gay culture.

One stumbles on the unflaggingly hopeful and spiritually adjusted Oklahoma Rider who discovers her father ready to disown her for appearing on TV; the Oklahoma Baptist University junior who comes out in great fear, only to find her status liberating; the weeping student who doesn’t want her university’s anti-gay stance to hurt actual people; other students who promise to help change their universities’ policies.

Director Dave O’Brien saves the most potent gesture for last: Brigham Young University students, knowing that they will almost certainly be expelled and excommunicated, stage a simple die-in on campus for those Mormons who committed suicide when rejected by their families and schools after coming out. It’s a heartbreaking subject the rest of the country, slowing altering its views on homosexuality, doesn’t want to face. The Equality Riders stare it down with courage, dignity and — dare we say? — grace.

“Equality U” screens at the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival 2 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Alamo Ritz.

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