Papa Doug Manchester’s worst nightmare (all photos: Mike Tidmus, fair use encouraged, drop me an email for larger sizes)

Close to 300 LGBT activists, union workers and allies descended on Doug Manchester’s Grand Hyatt in Downtown San Diego yesterday afternoon. The demonstration and rally were staged to commemorate the anniversary of Manchester’s donation of $125,000 in seed money to jump start California’s 2008, anti-marriage-equality ballot initiative, Proposition 8, and to protest the decision of the American Historical Association to hold its annual convention at the hotel.

The AHA booked the convention in 2003 and, rather than lose roughly $800,000 in fees, opted to go ahead with the convention, in violation of a boycott by the LGBT community and labor that began in July of 2008. Sensitive to the situation, the AHA set up a free convention within the convention that focused on the history of marriage through the ages.

That decision, however, was described by veteran LGBT and labor activist Cleve Jones as “the wrong decision.” During the two hour rally, demonstrators and many conference attendees listened to passionate speakers from the labor and LGBT communities and twice marched boisterously around Manchester’s property.

Here’s a small collection of photographs from the event.

Note: Be sure to also check out the coverage by veteran journalist and fellow San Diegan, Rex Wockner.

Sprucing up the property. The yellow and black caution tape has become a familiar element in the boycott of Doug Manchester’s hotel holdings

The rally kicked off with an exuberant introduction to the history of the Manchester boycott by veteran LGBT and labor activist Cleve Jones.

Cleve Jones: “Yes, we have an agenda. Labor has an agenda here today. It’s not a hidden agenda. It’s not a secret agenda. The agenda is loud and clear. The agenda of this union is equality. The agenda of this union is fair wages, safe working conditions, access to health care and equality for all workers, including lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people.”

Fred Karger was on fire. Cleve Jones introduced Karger and told the crowd about the religious right’s attempt to silence the founder of Californians Against Hate by dragging him into a costly court battle and demanding the same kinds of materials, related to the Prop 8 campaign, that they themselves are fighting in court to keep hidden from California voters. Learn more here

Fred Karger: “This is historic. You are part of history, and you’re pointing out to the American Historical Association that they are on the wrong side of history.”

Three abused and dismissed Hyatt workers traveled to San Diego from San Francisco, Long Beach and Boston to tell their stories and to stand with their union and LGBT brothers and sisters

Rick Jacobs, Chair of Courage Campaign, recounted the history of Manchester’s contribution, that put Prop 8 on the ballot, and the establishment of the coalition between organized labor and the LGBT community

Rick Jacobs: “Doug Manchester and his spokespeople don’t understand that equality in the workplace, equality in California, and equality across the nation is our fight together.”

The demonstrators circled the hotel property a number of times as nervous hotel security looked on, perhaps fearing a repeat of the invasion of the hotel’s lobby that occurred during last August’s Great Nationwide Kiss-In

The demonstration drew veteran activists and first-timers. Equality California arranged for a bus from the Los Angeles area

Brigette Browning, President of UNITE HERE Local 30, spoke passionately about protecting the rights of both the LGBT community and union workers

Brigette Browning: “I want you to know that we’re going to stand with you here at the Manchester Hyatt in San Diego and in California until we have equality for everybody.”

Community activist and former San Diego City Council candidate Stephen Whitburn spoke fervently of the value of coalition building between communities

Stephen Whitburn: “Let me say that we have a responsibility beyond this rally and the next rally and however many rallies it’s going to take. We have a responsibility to go out into our communities and make sure that those of us who get it, who understand the importance of coalition building, explain to the rest of our communities how important this coalition is, how we advance LGBT equality by working together with the labor community, how we advance the rights of working people by working with the LGBT community. We can do so much more, and so much more powerfully, when we work together. This is what we’re doing today. And let me tell you that, as a member of the LGBT community, we’re going nowhere until we have rights for working people at this hotel.”

What will history say about the American Historical Association?

Cleve Jones said, “If [the recently divorced] Doug Manchester is so concerned about preserving traditional marriage, maybe he ought to start with his own.”

The demonstrators were described as the real face of California