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Morning Roundup: After the Snowfall Edition
A very large group of protesters descended upon the National Mall yesterday as part of an international protest against California's Proposition 8, which overrode that state's Supreme Court decision that same-sex marriage was a fundamental right. Even though the weather was gloomy, the Washington Blade estimated that what "looked like tens of thousands" gathered on the Mall, marched, and chanted; other groups fractured off at locations like the White House.
DCist contributor Benjamin Schuman-Stoler was on the scene:
The rain started just as the police cars leading the march reached the Smithsonian Metro, but once we curved around the Washington Monument it was evident that nobody ditched out. Even though the cheers ("What do we want? Equal rights. When do we want it? Now!") perhaps weren't as sexy as those in the wee hours of Nov 5th ("Move Bush, get out the way, get out the way Bush, get out the way") there was a comparable feeling of genuine togetherness as we moved towards the White House, applauding cheering passerby and high-fiving camera wielding tourists. For what it's worth, the cops did an excellent job of ushering us from street to sidewalk and back again, and successfully maneuvered everybody through the busy intersection at 17th and Constitution Ave. We won the street from Constitution to Pennsylvania Ave. and, though the rain continued to fall, we yelled and yelled, cars honked and honked, and the march trickled through Lafayette Park to the front fence of the White House; happy, wet, and loud as ever.
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And where were all these protests BEFORE Prop 8 passed? Sorry, but the gay community dropped the ball on this one...
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.
If I had to estimate I'd say it was around 2000.
As usual the lesbians had the best signs.
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.
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.
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.
the people voted. why bother with a protest now?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.