JUDY WOODRUFF: As John Allan Clark works for change in the south, farther north, a group of Gen Nexters has taken on a mission of their own.

It’s Thursday evening at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Mankato, Minn., and we are with a group of young gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight activists, the Soul Force equality riders.

JARRETT LUCAS: People wonder, "Is Soul Force a Christian organization?" and no, it’s interfaith and that represents the full spectrum from atheist, agnostic, jewish, christian, yes.”

JUDY WOODRUFF: Raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his maternal grandparents in Philadelphia, 21-year-old Jarrett Lucas struggled to reconcile the teachings of his faith with his own sexual identity.

JARRETT LUCAS: You know, I had this internal battle, this back and forth of, "I'm going to be a Jehovah's witness or I'm going to be gay. I'm going to be a Jehovah's witness, or I'm going to be gay.

I would say from ten up until 14, I was -- even maybe beyond 14, I really hadn't reconciled my sexual orientation and religion.
 
I wasn't equipped with the tools. You know, my entire belief system was handed to me. And, I don't know that necessarily negates the validity of it because it was mine. Everything in my belief system dictated that being gay was wrong.

Coming out in high school
JUDY WOODRUFF: That is until Jarrett entered high school at Philadelphia's prestigious School for the Creative and Performing Arts.

JARRETT LUCAS: It was a very diverse and open community. Every moment that I spent in school, I thought I could be myself. And, at home I couldn't, and so, it was terrible. (laughter) It was terrible. I didn't ever want to go home.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Then, suddenly, senior year, his two worlds collided, his secret discovered by his grandfather.

JARRETT LUCAS: Because I had a computer and internet, and was very curious about myself and the world-- I had pornography on the computer. He made it clear that I had to be gone within two hours. He didn't say where. Pretty much what was important was what and why you need to be gone. But, it was also him doing what he thought was right, you know.

"God's love and punishment, I have to kick you out. I can't accept this. I can't stand for it."

And so, I was kicked out that day.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Young gays and lesbians are now coming out earlier than previous generations, many in their mid-teens.

Today, 85 percent of high school seniors say they know someone who is gay. And the number of gay/straight alliances in high schools has grown from just a hundred, 10 years ago, to over 3,000.

SCOTT KEETER, Pew Research Center: There's a much greater acceptance of homosexuality by Gen Next than any previous generation. I think that much of what we see in terms of the social attitudes of the Gen Nexters is a result of living in a society where there's just more openness about a lot of things that maybe weren't talked about in the past.

Gay characters on television—people who are openly gay -- in business, in government. I think we're a ways away from it yet, but I think we will see a greater acceptance in terms of the laws for civil unions and for gay marriage.

Soul Force rides to Bethany Lutheran College
JUDY WOODRUFF: Still, a significant minority of Gen Nexters remain staunchly opposed to homosexuality, a belief that, for many, is rooted in their religious conviction.

Trying to change those firmly held views is exactly what landed Jarrett on the Soul Force bus, traveling to 16 Christian colleges around the country, to talk with students about scripture and encourage them to be more open to gays and lesbians.

JARRETT LUCAS: We want to have a conversation about LGBT [Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] people, their lives, their morality. And, we'll do it within communities of faith.
 
The message that being gay is wrong, you can trace it back to religion. You can trace it back to doctrine, to conviction. And so, that's where the conversation needs to happen in those communities.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Most of the colleges visited by Jarrett and his fellow riders have policies forbidding homosexual behavior. And many, like Bethany Lutheran refused to let Soul Force on campus.

JARRETT LUCAS: Ideally, a school will get to that point and say, “Yes”, we will welcome the equality ride onto campus. We realize we didn't invite you, but we will welcome you, and we can have those conversations.

But some schools said, "No!"

But, there comes a point where they have made it so clear that they do not want to converse that they will shut their doors. And we say, "We are relentless in our goal of a dialogue."

POLICE OFFICER: Leave the property like the man said now or you will be arrested! Leave the property like the man said now or you will be arrested!  You are under arrest, you are under arrest! Stand right there, stay there.

JARRETT LUCAS: The equality ride is modeled after the freedom ride. We're having a completely different conversation. We're not challenging the police, and we recognize those differences.

But, at the end of the day, why are we on the bus? Why were they on the bus? I'm on the bus for the need to address and change prejudiced hearts and minds. That's what they were on the bus for.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Ten equality riders were arrested for trespassing at Bethany Lutheran, but their civil disobedience succeeded in attracting curious students to their protest.

STUDENT: What do homosexuals that—I'm not going to say claim Christianity because I’m not a judge of faith, only God is a judge of faith. How do they deal with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah? I've never understood that.

JARRETT LUCAS: The bible is very clear; 9 Prophets speak about Sodom and Gomorrah and what the sins of those cities were. It says the sins of Sodom were the excess of wealth, pride, failure to share with the poor and needy.

Understanding faith and homosexuality
JARRETT LUCAS: There's this focus on who people are loving.  Like a man is loving another man? And, less focus on how those people are loving. And for me I had to ask myself the question which is more important, who I am loving or how I am loving them?

It came to a point that I realized that, you know according to scripture, according to my faith and understanding of God that how we are loving is so much more important. And so, it takes a greater understanding of faith, what that means to you. It's a lot of questioning, a lot of challenging, which doesn't happen enough in communities of faith because challenges are seen as doubt.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Seven years after being kicked out, Jarrett was invited back to his grandparents’ house to visit. But discussing his sexuality was still off-limits.

JARRETT LUCAS: That decision to kick me out was a really painful and difficult one for them. What has gone wrong is their idea of Christian love because their kicking me out was Christian love. I think they have this skewed and distorted vision of what that means. But, their love for me is very genuine and deep. And, I don't doubt that. Never have and never will.

JUDY WOODRUFF: As for his hopes and dreams, Jarrett is leaving his options open.

JARRETT LUCAS: I'm a family man. I would love to have a family one day... but -- the "but" came so quickly. I'm a family man. (Laughter)