Carrie & Elisia Ross-Stone, lesbian civil rights activists have pledged to ride their bicycles for three consecutive years across the southern, central and northern US. They made their first Rainbow Ride Across America in 2003, riding from St. Augustine Florida to San Diego California, making stops in cities and towns along the way. In every city and town they visited they made contacts with people who pledged to take action to promote equality in their own lives and communities.

"When we originally made plans to begin the ride on May 1^st in San Francisco, we had no idea that we would be leaving from the epicenter of the civil marriage rights movement," explained Carrie. She and her partner Elisia were themselves married last September in Ontario Canada.

The couple considers the events in San Francisco and Massachusetts as the start of a grassroots movement with a life of its own. "Whether you agree with equal marriage rights or not, the floodgates are opened and there is no going back," says Elisia who adds "It is being instigated by ordinary, everyday lesbian and gay couples who want to participate in the American dream."

Right now Carrie and Elisia are in the final planning stages for the 2004 Rainbow Ride and for the last six months have been tirelessly organizing events and rallies in the cities and towns they will visit.

While in San Francisco the couple plan to meet with Mayor Gavin Newsom and as they stop in cities and towns across America they will make a challenge to other elected officials to follow the lead of Mayor Newsom to make their own stand against injustice and bigotry.

All told, the Ross-Stone's will be on the road for nearly four months from the day they leave their daughter's home in Tampa on April 5, until they arrive at their home in New York on July 30.

"This is our life now," explains Elisia, who adds "we are in it for the long haul." The couple believes they do not have a choice but to do whatever they can to defeat the constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. "Doing nothing is not an option," Carrie asserts. "If we do nothing we stand to lose everything."

In addition to San Francisco, the couple will make stops in Reno NV, Salt Lake City UT, Denver CO, Kansas City KA, St. Louis MO, Springfield IL, Indianapolis IN, Columbus OH, Pittsburgh PA, New York NY, Rehoboth Beach DE and Washington DC.

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