HOME | ARCHIVE | EMAIL US | TRAVEL SECTION
 

AROUND THE WORLD

Marriage Equality for Gay Men and Women Gets Worldwide Support

California in the spotlight from Australia and west-bound to Hawaii
 

■ Not all Christian churches back California's Proposition 8.  The Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul marched with pride in San Diego, supporting marriage equality. Photo courtesy Mike Tidmus

For Seattle resident Amy Balliett, the passing of Proposition 8 by voters in California was a ‘vote too far’.

The 26-years-old, who ‘married’ her same-sex partner in Seattle last August and made the marriage legal in California last month, decided to fight the result in the best way she knew – on the internet.

She started JoinTheImpact.com as a website to discuss the matter – and to see what like-minded people, gay and straight wanted to do.

Visitors to the website were astonishing as the word got out among gay communities everywhere.

A mere 10 days later, protest rallies were held across the USA, and the world, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets. Real impact, for sure and totally from grassroots support.

“I feel more proud of my community than I've ever felt before in my life,” she told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer yesterday (November 15). “It was surreal.  I’m utterly exhausted.”

Sleep?  No way!  Just before midnight she posted a ‘thank you’ on the campaign’s website.

“Last week, some felt angry,” she wrote.  “Last week, some felt defeated.  Last week, some felt hopeless.

“Today we have shown the world that we will not be victims anymore! Today, our community has risen and shown our opponents that we are MUCH MORE THAN 1 MILLION STRONG!  We brought the world’s attention to the outrage that is Proposition 8.”

[Read Ms. Balliett’s complete ‘thank you’ HERE]

From the seven who attended the protest in Montgomery, Alabama, to the 20-25,000 in San Diego (the smallest and largest attendances so far reported), every person counted. [Up to date reported attendances, and their sources, are HERE]

And in Fairfield, California, a rally organised by 16-years-old high school student Crystal Nievera attracted around 75 people, the Vallejo Times-Herald reported.

■ Report on the Seattle rally by the Post-Intelligencer's Gregory Roberts.

Brief reports and photos of just a handful of other protest rallies:

SAN DIEGO, California

Depending on who you talk to, the San Diego march through the downtown area  to protest the passing of Proposition 8 attracted between 20,000 and 25,000.

Turnout for the march dwarfed the number of people who showed up for the anti-gay, Pro-Prop-8 event, The Call, held at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium a few days before the election.
 

■ The protest march one the streets of San Diego Photo courtesy Mike Tidmus

“The atmosphere was electric,” said blogger Mike Tidmus.  “Marchers of every faith, race and sexual orientation chanted, blew whistles, sang and cheered their way along the route under sunny skies.

“The turnout among young people was especially large, with many saying they’d never marched for anything before in their lives.”

A handful of racist and anti-gay Prop 8 supporters greeted the throng at one street corner, and one man, identified as a member of the anti-immigrant Minutemen, was arrested when he attacked a Latino marcher.
 

Photo courtesy Mike Tidmus

“The march’s organisation and much of the advance publicity took place on the internet through blogs and social networking sites such as FaceBook and MySpace,” Mr. Tidmus said.

“Word of mouth spread quickly as friends asked friends, family and co-workers to join them as they took to the street for equality and justice for all.

A peaceful protest against the passage of Proposition 8, which if it becomes law will eliminate marriage equality in California, took place on the streets of San Diego. The Police estimate the turnout at 20,000, but march organizers say 25,000 citizens hit the streets to loudly and proudly say NO to H8.

■ More photos on the Mike Tidmus blog HERE

POMONA, California

Almost 500 people turned-out for a roadside protest in Pomona, Los Angeles County.  Bearing in mind that the city is close to the current ‘wildfires’, especially in nearby Yorba Linda, organisers were pleased with the turn-out.
 

■ The roadside protest in Pomona Photo courtesy Pomona organisers

LANSING, Michigan

Students at Michigan State University staged a candlelight rally in Lansing in support civil rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Organised by the Alliance of Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender Students of MSU, students and community members braved the cold and wind and gathered at “The Rock”, Todd A. Heywood of the Michigan Messenger said.

Other Michigan cities hosting events included Detroit, Kalamazoo, Mt. Pleasant, Grand Rapids and Marquette.
 

■ At the Michigan State University candlelight rally in support of LGBT civil rights. Photo courtesy Todd A. Heywood/Michigan Messenger

 

AROUND THE WORLD SOLIDARITY NETHERLANDS  About 60 turned up at the Homomonument in Amsterdam for the ‘Prop 8’ protest which attracted considerable media attention. “We had Dutch people, ex-pat Americans, gays and straight people,” said organiser Martha McDevitt-Pugh, founder of the Love Exiles Foundation. She added that many Dutch people are outraged that ‘Prop 8’ was passed. “Churches and their members spending millions to buy themselves part of the constitution sends shivers down my spine,” she continued. “Here in the Netherlands and other countries that respect the right of all loving couples to live together legally and in peace, are many thousands of US citizens who have left their homes to be with foreign same-sex partners. Ask any gay or lesbian American why they live in the Netherlands. For many if not most, it’s because they can’t sponsor their partner for a green card. “Love a foreigner, leave the country, has been the reality for gays and lesbians throughout the Bush years,” she added. ■  Good use was made of the 14th Amendment in the Amsterdam rally. Photo courtesy Love Exiles, Amsterdam. UNITED KINGDOM There were two events staged in the UK – a demonstration outside the Embassy of the United States of America in Grosvenor Square, London, and a march through central Edinburgh to the United States Consulate. Many of the protesters were American students currently studying at UK universities. They were joined by English and Scottish  gays and their friends.   ■ Outside the Embassy in London. photo via the London event Facebook page  ■ The Edinburgh protest rally marched along the city's world-famous Princes Street on the was to the US Consulate. photo via the Edinburgh event Facebook page

Seed Newsvine  

Got an opinion on this article?  Leave your comment here.