Protest Prop. 8 November 12, 2008 Jill Across the country on Nov. 15th. Find your protest location on that site. And today at 6:30pm outside the New York Mormon Temple (125 Columbus Ave at 65th Street).
That’s not a great organizing link. Whoever put that website together just searched “City Hall” on Google maps in major metro areas and then threw those locations up there. There appears to be no contact with local groups – in some cases, local organizers have already arranged and publicized protests that are NOT located at the city hall, so this website is giving out incorrect information. In other cities, such as Chicago, City Hall is actually not the best place for this kind of protest (here it would be in either Daley Center plaza or Thompson Center plaza). Not only that, but in Chicago on a Saturday, government buildings are empty and the area around them is pretty dead – Michigan Ave. is the place for a Saturday demonstration if you actually want anybody to see it. Anyway, while I think that a nationwide protest is a great idea, that website is a really half-assed attempt at organizing it and might not be the best site to promote.
Okay wait, I take it back. The website is different now, and the Locations and Contacts link now goes to more than just a list of links to Google Maps. There’s a recent entry about a sever change, so maybe I was getting an old version of the site. Sorry about that – feel free to delete that first comment (and this one) if you want, or leave it up as a public warning to others who may jump to conclusions…
If you want to laugh, cry, and possibly vomit at the same time, check out some of the wingnut coverage of a gay-rights protest in Michigan. (Hint: the words “Siege” and “glitter” appear in very close proximity)
The protests here in SoCal have been mostly pretty terrific so far, and they’re giving me lots of new material, too! http://fundamentallyflawed.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/as-if-wed-waste-our-juicy-fruit-on-you/ The amazing turnout of gays, lesbians, and straight allies has been inspiring and energizing, and has clearly marked this as one of the defining civil-rights struggles of our day. The “yes on 8” supporters, of course, are crying—entirely without irony—that their RIGHTS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM and their PRECIOUS VOTES HAVE BEEN INVALIDATED.
Am I the only one hugely uncomfortable with protesting outside a place of worship? I just see way too many ways that could go wrong. A silent demonstration would be one thing, but with this I can see a lot of hurtful things being said and more anger being provoked than anything productive.
In protesting the Mormon temple in Oakland, the organizers chose to go on Sunday, when the temple is actually closed (Mormons meet elsewhere on Sundays). So it’s possible to do a respectful yet effective protest at a place of worship. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/11/08/18549731.php