DCist: Weekend Gallery: Proposition 8 Protest

amandaspeet

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:32:47 -0500

While I wasn't there - too busy running to Home Depot and being a proper lesbian - protests and marches also serve an important role in rallying a community behind a cause, especially after suffering a setback. After a crushing defeat like this, it's vitally important for people to gather and feel as if they have a voice - even if it is just singing to the choir. And catharsis often brings about change - rallying a new round of activists to take up the fight.

ces12

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:12:14 -0500

And where were all these protests BEFORE Prop 8 passed? Sorry, but the gay community dropped the ball on this one... do you honestly think this is the first time there has been gay rights protests? Instead of protesting, people were out in CA trying to convince people to vote no on prop 8.

Krisa

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:02:20 -0500

I would agree if the timing was at the start of the next administration. Doing this now is beating a dead horse with the current administration, and immediately follows an open, democratic decision making process. This timing seems more like an emotional reaction, that we need to do "something", might as well be a protest, rather than something that will have a calculated impact. I'm not claiming that's a negative thing, but a thing that is extremely likely to have very little effect beyond the cathartic effect of the participants in feeling they've spoken out.

connie dobbs

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:36:20 -0500

I was there with a group of 8 friends (and 25% of us were not white, Hillman)! I had my toddler with me, so when the downpour started, we skedaddled. Again, there was a great deal of advertising by the LGBT community before the vote, but why protest something that hadn't been decided? I'm with bt824: this is exactly the time and place for a protest.

districtdon19

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:30:22 -0500

I'm so fired up about this! I'm gonna march! err..walk.. in the rain ... under a tornado watch ... Were ya'll marching for a recount? Even if there was a well-crafted and focused message trying to be delivered by way of this march, it still took 45 years from the "I Have A Dream" speech to elect a multiracial president. These 'movements' are achieved on a cycle. A, roughly, 45 year cycle, it seems. This stuff takes time, so be patient. This is the 21st century. Marches and protests don't work anymore. Hellooo Arrested Development?! Remember the antiwar rally/concert in '05? Yea, Thievery Corporation and Le Tigre were pretty awesome, but we're still stompin' around in our war boots and it's almost '09. And with the proposed plan, we could see a withdrawal over the next 3 years!

tenleytownist

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:45:33 -0500

the people voted. why bother with a protest now?

Hillman

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:16:01 -0500

I did notice the crowd was quite young. Maybe that's a reflection of how it was advertised - on various internets tubes. It was a bit sad to see that at least in my section the crowd was also overwhelmingly white. But on a bright note there were lots of straight people marching, or walking, or whatever it is we were doing.

Shaw_Girl

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:58:28 -0500

I agree that there were way more than 500. I was there with a group of friends and the group really stretched the length of the Mall as we marched down the center towards the White House.

bt824

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:48:55 -0500

Yes...I would have to second that. I participated in the march and would have put the participant count at about 2000. I can't believe the local Fox and NBC bureaus estimated 500. That is just ridiculous. There were more than 500 in each city block as we proceeded toward the White House. And as far as TX2DC's comment is concerned... Sorry if some of us overestimated other people's tolerance and open-mindedness prior to November 4th. If the charge is sanguinity...then yes, guilty as charged. This vote served as a much needed wake-up call to the bigotry that continues to obstruct the progress of all Americans, gay and straight.

Hillman

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:29:32 -0500

If I had to estimate I'd say it was around 2000. As usual the lesbians had the best signs.

Invisible Sun

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:30:58 -0500

As a participant in the march, it was a great experience, and it was heartening to see so many straight allies and young people support the GLBT cause. The Washington, DC had an impressive turnout, considering there was both a tornado watch and thunderstorms at the time of the protest, but the number was closer to 1,000 (the New York Times gives 900 as a figure) than the Blade's 'tens of thousands'. I am really glad I went and was part of these protests which happened simultaneously across the nation.

TX2DC

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:24:44 -0500

And where were all these protests BEFORE Prop 8 passed? Sorry, but the gay community dropped the ball on this one...