One year ago, by a slim majority vote, the State of California enshrined religion-biased bigotry in its constitution, and, for the first time in history, a civil right that had been legally granted was taken away (all photos, Mike Tidmus, fair use encouraged, larger sizes available)
Last night, San Diegans gathered to mark the first anniversary of the passage of Proposition 8 — the 2008 ballot initiative that eliminated the right of same-sex California couples to marry. Many of those who attended still appeared stunned and shaken by yesterday morning’s news that the legally-gained right of LGBT citizens to marry had again been taken away by a small majority of Maine voters — yet another close loss that brought the record of state-level marriage equality contests to a dismal 0-31 in favor of the extreme religious right, the leadership of the Catholic and Mormon Churchs, and mysteriously-funded front groups such as the National Organization for Marriage.
The event’s organizer, 17-year-old high school student Jase Watson, told Channel 5 News, the local Fox affiliate, “The reason I’m so passionate about it is I firmly believe the voter boxes shouldn’t have been used to take away rights that were given to the people by the state Supreme Court of California.” He added, “If their rights are taken away, then my rights can be taken away just as easy, and I believe that’s really wrong.”
A crowd of approximately 65 people assembled at 6:00 pm to Light Up The Night in the plaza in front of the San Diego County Administration Building on the harbor. The attendees listened to a succession of speakers, and then noisily marched behind an enormous rainbow flag to the doorstep of Prop 8 donor Doug Manchester’s Hyatt Grand Hotel, where they were treated to a special outdoor screening of Gus Van Sant’s award-winning film Milk.
The marchers circled Manchester’s hotel loudly chanting “Don’t check in, check out!” and “Boycott the Hyatt, check out now!”
Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, who helped initiate the successful boycott of Prop 8 donor Doug Manchester’s properties told me, “The Manchester Grand Hyatt is bleeding a million dollars or more a month as a result of the boycott — not a very good return on Doug Manchester’s $125,000 investment in January 2008.”
Here is a small collection of photographs from the rally and march.
Community activist and former San Diego City Council candidate Stephen Whitburn kicked off the evening with an energetic chant: “Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Homophobia’s got to go.” Whitburn passionately fired up the crowd, kicking off a succession of speakers
Veteran activists (L-R) Gabe Davis and Tres Watson, who recently spent time working for marriage equality in Maine, joined a crowd of about 65 attendees
Always supportive of the LGBT community’s issues, events and charities, a contingent from the San Diego Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence made a colorful appearance
The San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality’s Zakiya Khabir fervently articulated the case for equality
Married under California law in September 2008, (L-R) Miguel and Robert Close-Rodriguez share the leadership of the San Diego chapter of Marriage Equality USA. Miguel told rally attendees that Latinos believe in familia. “We are part of the familia. I’m an uncle, I’m a son, I’m a grandchild.” Miguel led the crowd in an enthusiastic chant of “no mas,” which he explained meant “no more to discrimination.” He insisted the chant be loud enough for his familia in Iowa and Chula Vista to hear
Michael Anderson spoke passionately and positively of the impact
of the marriage equality movement
Together 32 years, Tom and Richard Wilhein described their long struggle for respect and fundamental civil rights. To perhaps the loudest cheers of the evening, the couple made one request of the assembled equality activists: “Before we die, make us full citizens of our country.”
UNITE HERE Local 30 President Brigette Browning reminded the assembly that the long-standing relationship between the unions and the LGBT community was not merely a “marriage of convenience.” Browning said her union was honored to be one of the very first unions to stand with the LGBT community against Prop 8, and she vowed they would be one of the very last unions to stand with the community against Prop 8, because “it’s the right thing to do.”
Veteran activist and organizer Wendy Sue Biegeleisen expressed her anger and outrage: “We’re not going to take this lying down. We’re going to take this anger. We’re going to roll it up, and we’re going to turn it into passion. We’re going to turn it into a passion to create change, to create a revolution because that’s what we do.”
Light Up The Night was the brainchild of a remarkable 17-year-old, Scripps Ranch High School student named Jase Watson
Young Mr Watson demonstrates his precocious mastery of the bullhorn
Leaving the San Diego County Administration Building, the group marched, chanted and whistled it’s way along West Harbor Drive to the Manchester Grand Hyatt
Following a noisy march around the hotel’s towers, the group were treated to a special outdoor screening of the award-winning film Milk, sponsored by UNITE HERE Local 30, on Prop-8 financial backer Doug Manchester’s front lawn
The group made its message clear: Boycott the Manchester Hotel
Californians Against Founder Fred Karger was interviewed by the local media. Karger estimates that the boycott, now in its second year is costing San Diego hotel magnate Doug Manchester, who personally donated $125,000 to finance signature gathering for Prop 8, a million dollars per month in lost revenues
(L-R) Marriage Equality USA’s Miguel and Robert Close-Rodriguez and Fred Karger seemed pleased by the successful rally and demonstration
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The bias within this article panders to the people who wish to include themselves in an institution whose creation was founded on religious principles.
Everyone has the right to marry. Marriage is defined as a man an woman relationship. If one wishes to marry then a person of the opposite sex is required. To alter this definition of marriage destroys the previous definition and creates relationships that are ill defined.
Bottomline – stop trying to gain acceptance by changing everyone else. If you are gay be gay but other people do not have to embrace the behavior of the gay person, they do not even have to accept it. The gay has the choice to be what he/she is and people who do not understand the gay attitude have every right to scorn the behavior of the gay when it infringes on their life, this too is a function of free choice – an American principle.
Don’t call me out on my alleged bias and then demonstrate yours. It makes you look foolish. If you don’t like living in a secular state, in which all citizens have equal rights, pack your bags and your damn bible and move your bigoted ass to Iran.
It’s only a matter of time before all American citizens, including the superstition-enfeebled like you and Carrie Pornstar Prejean, are treated equally under the law.
Agreed. And furthermore, we are not trying to force our views, we are trying to combat people like you, who shove their interpretation of marriage onto us. We’re not saying that you have to beleive in same-sex marriage, we just want the right to marry whomever we love, regardless of their sex. This is called marriage equality.