Everyone has been asking what they can do in response to California's Prop 8, Florida's Amendment 2, Arizona's 102, and the other setbacks in Equality for our community.
Well, someone has answered that question.
Join the Impact has started a movement for a National Day of Protest on November 15th, 2008:
On the steps of your City Hall on November 15th at 10:30am PST /1:30pm EST, our community WILL take to the streets and speak out.
No protest close to you? Start one.
This is a grassroots effort. We need to stand as one and say we will not settle for less than Equality! California had been protesting nonstop since their constitutional amendment passed, making huge national headlines. Now we can all step up and do the same in our own states.
Visit www.jointheimpact.com for more information. And here's another way to communicate about the protests: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/. There are also numerous Facebook groups and events set up to help organize.
Feel free to use the comments section here to post about protests you are organizing in your area.
For information on Protests in Florida, visit Bilerico-Florida.
For information on Protests in Indiana, visit Bilerico-Indiana.
For information on Protests in North Carolina, see Pam's post.
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12 Comments
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I will start forwarding the link to this article to several local orgs.
Reformed Ascetic | November 11, 2008 6:40 PM
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I am happy to report that I have already started getting messages back regarding this event.
Hopefully, we can get multiple protests off the ground by the 15th.
Reformed Ascetic | November 11, 2008 10:55 PM
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In Atlanta, we will be at the State Capital Building at 1:30 PM. It's the Gold Dome. This is being sponsored by Georgia Equality and Jeff Schade.
MonicaHelms | November 11, 2008 6:47 PM
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It does my jaded heart good to see the grassroots excitement around this. Protests are popping up all over Florida, including in ultra-conservative spots like Pensacola. Many of them are being led by new, young, motivated activists who are stepping up and taking a leadership role for the first time...
Part of me feels like we really are on the cusp of a new (or should I say renewed) age in activism for our community.
Waymon Hudson | November 11, 2008 11:32 PM
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What's so exciting about this is the national wave of action.
This can only happen when new and more people engage with politics, and that's GREAT! Guess the loss of marriage equality in CA was the kick in the butt we needed.
It's also smart that the focus is on city halls and state capitols. Why would we fool around with the Mormons at the street level? They interfered in politics but it's not up to them to restore our rights. I don't get picketing them--it validates and dignifies Mormon interference in the state's activities.
PhoenixRising | November 12, 2008 12:05 AM
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It is good to see this burst of energy. My hope is that it can be harnessed into really building a strong LGBT movement.
Michael Crawford | November 12, 2008 7:31 AM
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Can I just say though...
As a person stuck organizing one of these damn things when I'm already incredibly busy, it pisses me off that someone I've never heard of starts a website and now we've got queers the nation over expecting protests with minimal notice and no one "in charge" of making sure things go smoothly. It's a lot of work for those of stuck in this position without even being able to plan for the extra time and effort involved.
Bil Browning | November 12, 2008 8:28 AM
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I kind of like the spontaneity of these demos.
I'm pretty sure the new kids on the block will know, or quickly learn, how to incorporate organization, defensive tactics and the new technology. I don’t know if it’ll work for large bicoastal or national marches but I don’t see why not.
One of the best advantages of this is that it’ll piss off cops and the FBI. They’ll have to scramble to get photographers, spotters and provocateurs in place.
I can’t wait to see how it impacts antiwar and antirecession actions.
Bill Perdue | November 12, 2008 11:48 AM
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This is the opening shot of new era of activism.
This new round of activist demos has moved beyond the three states where Obama’s “god’s in the mix” bigotry galvanized the bigot vote and defeated same sex marriage. They’ve spread across the nation and now internationally. Use of the net and cell phones have replaced leaflets forever as organizing tools. Thank Odin.
Marked by rapid growth and political intransigence, these demonstrations are the opening salvoes of a renewed youth radicalization, which, unlike the 1960’s, will feature the fight for GLBT equality as one of its chief components.
The antiwar and union movements will follow as the general radicalization deepens under the impact of Obama’s unwinnable string of wars from Palestine to Pakistan and his economic policies that are turning a bad recession into an even worse depression.
In terms of our struggle we have to move beyond same sex marriage and include the struggles for an inclusive tough ENDA and hate crimes bills.
Maybe the momentum gained from this opening shot will force the bigots who run the Democrat party to give us quick concessions before it fizzles out. Probably not. We're in for a long fight.
Bill Perdue | November 12, 2008 11:17 AM
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Bil,
You're absolutely right. In the end,our organization decided to support the protest in Nashville with publicity. But I must have gotten 15 self-righteous emails asking me what we (meaning TEP)were going to do before one woman called me and said that she was organizing it and wanted help spreading the word. I said to myself, Good for her. This is the type of person I like to help.
But to ask states like mine to drop everything for this issue is a little annoying. Our legislature just went Republican in both houses for the first time since Reconstruction. Duanna Johnson was just murdered in Memphis. We've got a Hell of a lot of work to do here. So we're going to use the event to spread awareness of state issues to people who are newly attracted to activism by the Prop 8 issue.
Chris Sanders | November 12, 2008 3:46 PM
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Since the events are being billed as "Stop the Hate", couldn't you use it to talk about hate crimes (like Duanna Johnson) and other issues as well? That's what we are doing in FL- its Amendment 2, hate crimes, bullying, trans issues, all of it.
I'm just excited to see so many new young folks getting fired up. While it may be work and inconvenient, it is something we should harness and use...
I say visibility and activism is always good, even when it's messy.
Waymon Hudson | November 12, 2008 4:08 PM
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{make handjob motion}
Privileged gays whining about marriage isn't exactly my idea of something to get worked up about. Most of them probably have jobs, food to eat, and an expectation that they will be alive in two years.
Gays reek of privilege. I bet they can even go to a doctor with an infection and money from a job, and then walk away with antibiotics!
Some of us cannot make these claims.
Call me when the LGB crowd starts caring about something other than its navel lint.
In the meantime, I will be engaged in keeping at least two trans women out of body bags. And do it without too much LGB interference, I hope.
Alyssa | November 20, 2008 12:07 AM
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