Thousands Protest Same-Sex Marriage Ban In San Francisco

New York Times:

Thousands of people marched through the streets here Friday night to protest the passage on Tuesday of Proposition 8, a ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage.

The march, which began near City Hall, snaked down the city's main artery, Market Street, to the Castro district, a bastion of San Francisco's gay men and women. Rush-hour traffic was stopped as marchers, some carrying signs reading "We Shall Overcome," peacefully swarmed around cars.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[SanFranJeff]

Proposition Marches Continue in San Francisco

On Friday, November 7th, during rush hour traffic, I joined what looked like approximately 25,000 of my brothers and sisters in a Street March from the Civic Center in San Francisco, up Market Street into the Castro District.. While snarling rush hour traffic, on-lookers from cars trapped in gridlocked, waived, cheered, blew their horns and gave us "thumps-up"!

The street march was peaceful, and weaved from the Civic Center, through the Castro and ended at Delores Park. The crowds chanted a demand for their Civil Rights NOW!

San Francisco police quickly whisked into action by closing down streets allowing the march to proceed. The Octavia Artery was blocked, backing traffic up on the 101 across the Bay Bridge into Oakland. The Van Ness / Market Street was also closed down backing up traffic onto Lombard, and stretching across the Golden Gate Bridge. Although those not trapped on Market Street were able to get out of the city - no one was getting as bridges to the north and east were blocked.

The time has come - we will NOT STOP until our Marriage Rights are Restored, and we want them NOW!

[SanFranJeff]

On Friday night, November 14th, a not-so-peaceful "near riot" quickly erupted in the Castro District as ten or Yes on 8 Supporters hunkered down in the Heart of the Castro District on Castro and 18th Street, directly in front of a make shift memorial for a community activist who recently passed away.

These Instigators were delivering a message of intolerance in a Community recently defeated and the local gay men weren't having it. Within minutes, at least 100 men had gathered, many of them from local bars with a few "happy hour" cocktails under their belts, and the anger escalated. The Instigators were surrounded by this mob, who drowned out their message with shouting: "Go Home - Go Home - Go Home"! Others blew whistles creating a shrill that could be heard blocks away.

Ten to Fifteen Minutes Later, at least 25 Police Officers arrived , and the police were phenomenally patient, while unmistakably forceful in defusing the mob crowd and removing the instigators by creating a protective zone and escorting the zealots to their cars.

Many tried to calm flaring tempers prior to the police's arrival, but pleas were being ignored. Kudos to the San Francisco police as last night could have easily turned into a blood bath if the police didn't keep cool heads. It was the most skilled use of force in the most respectful way possible, and no one was arrested!

[gaysofla]

Dear Huffington Post LGBT Friends & Supporters,

While members of California’s LGBT Community have taken to the street en masse to protest Proposition 8, it seems Florida gays are resigned to having LGBT inequality enshrined into their state’s constitution. After 62 percent of Floridians voted for Amendment 2, little has been done to protest the discriminatory measure…until now! Join us this Saturday in towns & cities all over Florida to protest Amendment 2. The following link has more information and details:

http://www.gaysofla.com/content/view/422/50/

We too shall one day overcome!

David L. Wylie, Senior Editor
http://www.gaysofla.com

[brinev]

Where was this passion before the vote?

[Hare]

Gay people I don't blame you for being angry. I suggested to find and stick to the law side of this issue.

[Clarknt67]

Similar protest is planned for NYC, Upper West Side, Weds, 6:30. http://digg.com/politics/Protest_at_the_Mormon_Temple_in_NYC_Wednesday_630pm

[Jabba]

Okay, I am a Canadian, so I am not that familiar with US Constitutional Law. However, I would be pretty surprised to hear that a constitution can be amended with a simple majority. Would it not count as an extraordinary resolution, and as such require a 2/3 majority? If that is the case, there is no way that the courts will uphold Prop 8. Also, how about getting rid of the tax exempt status for all these evangelicals-turned-lobbyists? Is it not illegal to lobby on behalf of specific legislation if you enjoy charity tax status? Just asking.

[Clarknt67]

There is a lawsuit currently asking the California Supreme Court to consider your questions.

[ramal]

Hopefully this is just the beginning of an angry indignation being taken to the streets all over the nation by Gay men and women. Change is in the air. We have had ENOUGH. No more second-class citizenship.

[Hedonist88]

No one's stopping gays from going about their business. I have always wondered why the go on gay parades and the rationale behind them

[Eric8869]

They are stopping us from having basic rights like visiting our loved ones in the hospital.

So shut up about the parades

[Clairvaux]

It's hilarious!

The Mormon Church has started advertising on Huffington Post!

Your soul is about to be merchandized.

[McGay]

Tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters are in the streets in California and Salt Lake City and around the country protesting the votes banning same-sex marriage in California.

Join them! Make your voices heard right here in New York City.

We will tell the Mormon Church how we feel about its relentless campaign to condemn and control our lives. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
was, by far, the biggest financer of California's heinous and hateful
Proposition 8. The Mormon Church begged their members to donate money to Prop 8,
pouring 20 million dollars into the campaign. And their attacks on us didn't start there and aren't
about to end. They're plotting right now to bring their money and influence to bear against the LGBT community everywhere in this country, including trying to prevent marriage equality in New York.

Join us in speaking out against Mormon hate! Stop them taking away your rights!

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location: New York Manhattan Mormon Temple
Street: 125 Columbus Ave at 65th Street
City/Town: New York, NY

[barbwiregrrl]

Getting a carpool together from the philly area.

[antaeus]

Tonight's march in Silver Lake was amazing! Police estimate us at over 10,000 people.

Spain, elsewhere in Europe. Massachusetts, Connecticut. This is coming. Any of you hapless Californians deluded enough to think you've beaten us are living in your own 1950s fantasy world. Same-sex marriage is coming.

[objectiveRob]

It sure sucks when 52% of the people vote to take your rights away.

Oh wait. Were you talking about Prop 8? I was talking about the statist, confiscatory policies of the Democrats.

When are my iPhone-talking, Starbucks-drinking, BMW-driving friends going to realize that economic liberty is just as precious as social liberty. BOTH conservatives and liberals are in the business of taking away your rights. They live on two sides of the same coin.

Stand up for liberty!

[MarketAnarchist101]

"This is how liberty dies... to a thunderous applause" - Star Wars Episode 3 - Correct me if I am wrong here but, yeah didn't you know.. when freedom dies both sides think it is a great thing.. if you ask me people are so misinformed that they are caught on by the smallest issues and are hook, line and sinker into it.. it really is amazing how ignorant people are.

[Eric8869]

I didn't hear you protesting when Gore won the popular vote and a right wing supreme court chose the President.

The right wing has nothing to do with liberty.

[Ping]

The California Constitution cannot be amended by referendum. Why was prop 8 even allowed on the ballot?

Having said that, same sex marriage is not a civil right. If a state wants to define marriage as a contract between a man and a woman, there is nothing gays can do except to change the law..

[midknightryder13]

Because the court cannot rule on the constitutionality of something that has just been PROPOSED. It has to be PASSED first.
Since the CA Supreme Court defined marriage for gays as a right and that gays as a group met the requirements for a suspect class -- I suspect the court will say that a right cannot be taken away from a recognizable group of people.

[Ping]

No the court will not rule that way. They will say that the Constitution cannot be amended by referendum.

[Ping]

I think that the argument that "Same Sex Marriage" is a civil right guaranteed under the 14th amendment of the Constitution doesn't hold water.

[DMcMillan]

I don't see how you can't. Look at the last line. They are speaking directly to the States in this section.

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

[Ping]

If a state "A'" does not have a marriage statute, you would have to go to another state to get married. Marriage is like driving it is not a right.