Comments on: Reports from all over: Your Prop 8 protest stories

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:34:27 +0000

I was at a gay rights rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Sunday. It was a very exciting and uplifting experience, after the rally there was an invitation for us to go to a church where they served food and coffee. There was an exhibition of photographs of over 300 Pennsylvania same-sex couples, some of them together for 44 years.

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:18:45 +0000

Protests were all over Monterey County. We were in Monterey itself.
http://www.ksbw.com/video/17990928/index.html

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:04:47 +0000

There were around 500 people out in Cincinnati, Ohio. Margaret Cho stopped by and debuted an anti-Prop 8 song which I am sure will be making the rounds as she tours. It was great to see so many people considering the weather wasn’t all that great. Best of all–no counterprotesters.

By: Quasi

Quasi — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:16:53 +0000

As with most “mature” organizations, the well-known “big” gay organizations are only about money and getting enough to keep the doors open and the administrators in a job and salary. I get tired of the constant emails and flyers to donate money, OVER AND OVER AND OVER, and nothing seems to be happening. After all, if our goals are reached, they would have no reason to stay in existence. Don’t expect them to do anything useful in a hurry or soon. That is not a profitable gay endeavior.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:53:53 +0000

Does anyone else feel like we’ve been relying on the wrong organizations? I sent an email out to all the lgbt organizations in my state alerting them to Join The Impact and none of them bit.

Instead our protest was organized by some straight college kids…who are totally awesome. But still, I thought lgbt orgs were supposed to have the resources to do these things. These college kids were broke and handmade probably 50 signs.

One organization that was born on November 7th did what no previously existing org has been able to do…get 10s of thousands of gays to do something at the same time. This seems to make the HRC kind of irrelevant. There’s nothing on their site about this movement that just happened.

By: Roger Walcker

Roger Walcker — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:35:04 +0000

My name is Roger Walcker. I live in Downtown Portland, Oregon. I have “come out” twice in my life. First as an “out and proud” gay architect. Second, since July 2006, I have been HIV+. I live in Downtown Portland Oregon, healthy and happy and thriving. I walk to the PSU south park blocks for the Same Sex Marriage Rally. I was overwhelmed at the thousands of people there to rally for GLBT marriage rights. Two of my PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) drove the 80 miles from The Dalles to join us. I was sitting on a bench, when Mayor Tom Potter stepped to teh top step and said he was pissed because his lesbian daughter cannot get married in California. Then two gay guys came up with their marriage license from Riverside County on a sign. They were afraid their marriage would be anulled. The our new gay mayor, Sam Adams spoke eloquently and with passion. I am so happy to live in my progressive city and state. I have 2 gay doctors at Legacy Good Samaritan and both have long term partners. Dr. James Sampson and his partner Jeff “came out” together 40 years ago. Dr.Preston Peterson and his partner David have been together for 5 years. We all want to get married to the person we love. We do NOT want SPECIAL RIGHTS. We just want EQUAL RIGHTS. It’s just that simple. I am so proud to live in this progressive city and state. With my doctors, my meds and my care, I still plan to live to be 103, HIV be damned. God bless y’all. Roger Walcker (and yes, my last name IS spelled queerly)

By: Patrick in Seattle

Patrick in Seattle — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:52:03 +0000

It was a beautiful sunny day in Seattle. We started off in Volunteer Park and the crowd grew and grew and grew. We had our gay House Representative, County Exectutive and the Mayor all speak about the change we can make happen. Then we all marched out of the park on our way downtown with the enourmous rainbow and American flags leading the way. Down Broaday, we turned on Pike and as we were coming down the street a woman emerged from her balcony completely naked! The crowd roared! It was a great day!

By: Rick James

Rick James — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:47:18 +0000

My partner Wayne and I went to city hall in downtown Birmigham and were met by a single woman with a sign. We didn’t know that the Birmingham protest had been cancelled the night before because no one would sponsor it. There was a reporter there from the local CBS station who said she was sorry as we left. I love living in the South, but sometimes I am so embarrassed. There is so much hate and fear here.

By: Bar

Bar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:30:59 +0000

Monterey, California checking in – We had a crowd of about 200 and some speakers. Enthusastic and very mixed crowd; I ran in to the guy who advises my office on our 401K; he was there with his wife and two little girls and said, this is about freedom for all ! I was so touched to have their support. A big thanks to supporters who are standing up with us and have no vested interest in our cause other than EQUALITY FOR ALL! Hang in there; OUR civil rights movement is launched!

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:31:39 +0000

Duncan … *oops* My bad. I thought this thread was chronologically-ordered with the last post first … Hence my reiterating what you penned without having read your post beforehand.

Okay now, some more suggestions for “Pink Flu” day [realizing though that the original intent was to have only openly gay folks call-in sick (i.e. I did not want to water-down the original proposal in consideration for those who may not yet be able to be out at work (let alone our non-LGBTQI allies))]. That said:

1 — To follow up on what I wrote a coupla hours ago, and for those of you whoh may not know, Harvey Milk was assassinated on November 27, 1978 [ http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/milk_h.html ]
The 27th of November is Thanksgiving though so … well, calling in sick on a holiday and all … Not so effective ?

2 — The day after thanksgiving is – historically – one of the biggest retail shopping days in the year [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping) ] Yet, given that a lotta people take off that day too … Though it might be an option as retailers would be needing their gay help AND our ‘closeted’ and straight allies could participate without casting aspersion. As well, not only do people start spending for Christmas on that day but they likely spend time indulging themselves at restaurants, hair salons, and other leisure activities as well.

3 — If that Friday is not an adequate option then one may consider Monday December 1st [and yes, I know that the 10th of December has been already set aside and all but if you'd jusr read a bit more ... ???]. The first Monday after Thanksgiving has become known as “Cyber Monday” [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_Monday ]. This might be a much better day given that there are tonnes of GLBT people in ‘the tech sector’ of the economy and their “Pink Flu” non-participation on THAT day might help send one helluva (possibly more huge) message.

4 — Finally, I mention these days given not only the 30th ‘anniversary’ of the assassination Harvey Milk [ again, for more see this too ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Milk ] BUT MORESO BECAUSE Gus Van Sant’s new movie on the assassination of Harvey Milk is set to open on November 26th, 2008 in mainstream theatres throughout North America. I have not seen this new movie about Harvey (nor am I affiliated with it’s production/marketing/etc.) in any way but … Well there are a *few* things that I find problematic with its promotion [ http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/milk/view ] this will be the first time that many Americans will be exposed to this film (and it seems to be a rather inspiring movie (I watched the trailer earlier … http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/milk/?flashsection=videos )).