City - by Dean Stattmann on Saturday, November 15, 2008 17:00 - 6 Comments - 38 views
Hundreds of protestors showed up at New York’s City Hall Saturday to stand up to the recent passing of Proposition 8 in California. The demonstration followed Wednesday night’s protest outside the Manhattan Mormon Temple.
Proposition 8, or “Prop 8,” was a proposition that appeared on the California ballot, banning same-sex marriage.
While the constitutional fairness of Proposition 8 is currently being challenged by several lawsuits, gay and lesbian communities across the country are uniting to voice their disapproval, citing the proposition as a violation of human rights.
Photos by Dean Stattmann
6 Comments
Dustin Currie
Matt Peck
Hipster apathy doesn’t erase the hundreds of simultaneous rallies across the country today. Besides, we’ve spent decades “thinking about the issue” and the time has come for action. Bottom line is that the 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection under the United States Constitution. Courts across the nation have ruled that access to the institution of marriage has substantial benefits. By denying these benefits to couples solely based on their sexual orientation is a violation of their human and civil rights. A religious or conservative objection to an issue does not supersede the rights of minorities in this country. If it did, we’d still have laws prohibiting African Americans from marrying each other, let alone someone of another race. This is the next step in our nation’s Civil Rights movement and we will not relent.
Brenden Findlay
This was a impromptu grassroots rally. This is the prefix to the next next American civil rights movement cutesy posters and all .
Gary Evans
As a Gay resident of Sacramento CA I want to say Thank YOU! Thank you to the thousands of people outside California that are supporting us.
Many people do not realize one of the significant things about this Proposition. While other states have had their constitutions altered to prevent same sex marriage, this proposition REMOVED that right after it was granted to us by the courts. That was the first time that civil rights were taken away from a group of people AFTER they had been won.
This one difference sets this struggle apart from others. We must continue to educate people to the facts of this issue.
We also need to be sure we do not alienate those churches, minorities and non GLBTQ supporters. Vandalizing churches and businesses is NOT THE THING TO DO! Yelling obscenities at our opposition is NOT going to further our cause. Resorting to violent behavior is going to set us BACKWARDS not move us forward.
Ammre Ulrich
Oh hey! those are my hula hoops! I’m glad to see a photo of them floating about.
Inclusivity not exclusivity!
Jill Reisfeld
To Dustin:
As one of the people who made one of those “cutesy” posters, I assure you I have thought long and hard about this issue and am not just “falling in line” because it’s hip. My partner and I both donated handsomely to the No on 8 cause and have ALWAYS been staunch advocates of marraige equality (and issues of equality in general).
We celebrated 12 years together on the 8th. As two adults in their late thirties we are acutely aware of the rights and priviledges that we are denied by not being allowed to marry — not just on a state, but more importantly on a federal/national level. We are fighting for the equality of all in the way that we feel is most effective. Our humor, like our love, is what unites us as human beings.
I suggest you spend “more time thinking” before you post such an ignorant and sweeping generalization of people who stood up for this cause.
Jill
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Someone should inform these protestors that they should spend less time making cutesy posters and more time thinking about the issue. It’s funny how people fall in line when it’s cool to protest something.