Articles in News
Fairbanks for Equal Marriage: Prop 8 Protest at City Hall
About 30 supporters of same-sex marriage demonstrated in front of Fairbanks City Hall and marched in the light snow on Saturday, probably the farthest north location to join the national protest against Prop 8. Irina Rivkin, a lesbian singer/songwriter from California, performed at the protest.
“[Irina] wrote a skit about ‘octogenarian marriage,’ equating it with the gay marriage debate (the joke being that eighty-somethings can’t have kids, and a lot of people are grossed out by eighty-something sex),” wrote ORBITALDIAMONDS. “Then she sang a song about bringing her girlfriend home to her conservative Russian mother, who eventually came to like the girlfriend, and it made me cry.”
Were you there? Tell us about it! There are photos on the Facebook page Protest Prop 8 in Fairbanks, but the only posted article is from the Daily News-Miner:
“The Fairbanks protesters eventually marched down Cushman Street to Airport Way to wave signs, [Kristen] Magann said. A couple of protesters performed a skit and one sang a lesbian love song.
“We didn’t meet with any adverse attitudes except from a cabbie who asked if we were supporting ‘real marriage,'” Magann wrote in an e-mail later in the day.
“When the protesters told the cab driver that they were advocating for same-sex marriage, the driver sped away, Magann said.
“At its height, 32 people participated in the Fairbanks demonstration.”
After the protest, Kristen wrote this message on the Facebook page:
“Thank you thank you thank you for coming out and showing your support for equality today! We had such a good turnout and I hope you are all as inspired and pumped up about the movement as I am. Just because the protest is over, the struggle is not.”
Please share your story about the Fairbanks protest. (Post it in the comments.)
Anchorage Fight the H8 Protest, Nov. 15
UPDATE: The organizers called the protest for NOON, and sent the press release to the media. We are not the only city holding the protest at a different time. But if you feel passionate about being there at 9:30 or cannot join us at noon, then go and make your voice be heard, more power to you! (and send the photos to Bent Alaska.) Thank you.
On Saturday November 15th, people in cities all around the U.S. are coming together to take a stand for equality. To date, more than 250,000 have made the pledge to take part in this national protest. Join the movement! For more information visit http://jointheimpact.com/
The Anchorage Protest
We are protesting in front of the Atwood Building, 550 W 7th Ave. between E and F Streets. Please bring a sign and DRESS WARM. Spread the word!
We are protesting for EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL, and this is a peaceful protest. Sign ideas here: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/Protest+Signs
TIME??
If we follow the national movement and hold our protest to coincide with all the others, we would hold it at 9:30 a.m. in Alaska. However, the last time we held a protest early on a Saturday morning, people said the same thing but did not show up early! Many showed up around noon, after the early group left. So this time, maybe we should do what works here and call it for noon, or compromise on 11 a.m., despite the national timing.
What time will you commit to showing up?
We Can Marry in Connecticut!
Same-sex couples began marrying in Connecticut today.
Connecticut does not have a residency requirement, and same-sex couples from around the country will be able to marry there. There is no effort to overturn the Connecticut law.
A lower-court judge entered a final order permitting same-sex marriage, after the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled last month that excluding same-sex couples from marriage was unconstitutional.
“Connecticut sends a message of hope and inspiration to lesbian and gay people throughout this country who simply want to be treated as equal citizens by their government,” said the plaintiff’s attorney.
Peg Oliveira and Jennifer Vickery were married outside New Haven City Hall less than two hours after the order. They look forward to calling each other “wife” and raising their 3-month-old baby, Willow, in a state that recognizes them as married.
Michael Miller and Ross Zachs handed out white frosted cupcakes with the letters M and R on them after marrying on the steps of West Hartford Town Hall. The crowd cheered when minister Carole MacKenzie concluded the ceremony, saying “By the authority invested in me by the state of Connecticut.”
National Protest Against Prop 8 on Nov. 15
The birth of a new gay rights movement — the civil rights movement of the 21st Century — is unfolding before our eyes.
Join the Impact
If you’ve been watching our brothers and sisters protesting the passage of Prop 8 in California wishing that there was something you could do to help, there is: a group called Join The Impact is planning a nationwide protest against Prop 8, organizing simultaneous rallies on the steps of City Halls all over the country from Mobile, Alabama to Laramie, Wyoming on Saturday, November 15th at 10:30 a.m. PST/1:30 p.m. EST.
This protest is being held to rally against the passage of Prop 8, along with Arizona’s Prop 102 and Florida’s Prop 2, both of which banned gay marriage, and the Arkansas Adoption Ban, which prevents unwed couples (and therefore gay and lesbian couples) from adopting children.
Visit JoinTheImpact.com to find the protest nearest you. If you don’t see your city listed, round up a few friends to serve as organizers, and ask the group to add it to the list.
** No one is coordinating a protest in Alaska yet. Do you want to join this national event?**
Citing the Stonewall Riots of 1969, which marked the birth of the gay rights movement, Join The Impact urges us all to come together again to show the nation that we are “one loud voice that needs to be heard.”
“It’s time we come together for debate, for public recognition, and for love! Let’s move as one full unit, on the same day, at the same hour, and let’s show the United States of America that we too are DESERVING OF FULL EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW!”
Repeal Prop 8
Movements are visceral and popular, often borne of outrage and anger. What we are witnessing on the streets and online is a community of people who have come together to say: “These are our lives. This is our time. This is unacceptable.” Organized from the bottom-up by thousands of ordinary people, this people-powered phenomenon is exponentially growing by the minute, online and offline.
This is our moment to stand strong together — gay and straight — and say that we refuse to accept a California where discrimination is enshrined in our state constitution. Sign the Courage Campaign’s pledge to repeal Prop 8 and help restore marriage equality to California.
Thousands of Same-Sex Marriage Supporters Protest Prop 8
The backlash against California’s new ban on gay and lesbian marriage intensified over the weekend, with thousands of people gathering around the state during mostly peaceful protests.
More than 3000 opponents of Proposition 8 gathered Sunday at a rally at the state Capitol as speaker after speaker exhorted them to fight to restore the right to same-sex marriage.
“This fight is not over,” Elana Metz, organizer of the Sacramento rally, told the spirited crowd. “We will demand our human rights.”
“I didn’t see it coming,” said Joe West, who traveled from San Francisco. “It was like a punch in the gut. We worked so hard to bring change in this election, and then this happens.”
The weekend of protests started Friday evening when about 1,000 people gathered in San Francisco and about 2,000 people gathered in Long Beach. About 5,000 people turned out Saturday evening for a Prop. 8 protest in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, and a candlelight vigil in Laguna Beach drew about 1,000 people.
The state’s largest event was held in San Diego on Saturday, with about 10,000 protesters.
On Sunday, hundreds gathered outside Saddleback Church in Lake Forest (Orange County), an evangelical megachurch that pushed for the ban. About 400 assembled outside Oakland’s Mormon Temple, forcing Highway Patrol officers to temporarily close two Highway 13 ramps to protect the marchers.
Several Prop 8 related incidents were reported. A supporter of the marriage ban carrying a plastic foam cross clashed with protesters at Palm Springs City Hall on Friday. A progressive Jewish synagogue in Sacramento that performs same-sex ceremonies was vandalized on Sunday when “Leviticus 18-3” was spray painted on the wall.
“I stood on the street corner with my family in protest of Proposition 8,” said Jennifer Chadwell of Santa Maria, a small town on California’s Central Coast. “We were pushed, called horrible names, got drinks poured on us, and two of our fellow protesters were threatened with knives.”
“These things were all done by people claiming to want to restore family values to California.”
At the Sacramento protest, the crowd covered the Capitol steps and spilled into the surrounding park. Dozens of rainbow gay pride banners waved, along with hundreds of the blue and white “Vote No on Prop. 8” signs left over from the campaign.
There were also hundreds of homemade signs, broadcasting the feelings of those left shocked and disappointed when Prop 8 passed by 52% of the vote. “Hatred is Not a Family Value,” one said. “Love Will Prevail,” another added. “I’m Embarrassed to be a Californian,” said a third.
Back to the Courts
Opponents of the same-sex marriage ban filed a challenge to the new constitutional amendment with the California Supreme Court, arguing that the rights guaranteed by the court in a May decision overturning a 2000 same-sex marriage ban can’t be overturned by a simple ballot measure.
Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, an opponent of Prop. 8, expressed support for the court challenge on CNN’s “Late Edition” Sunday, calling the measure’s passage “unfortunate.”
“But it is not the end because I think this will go back into the courts,” the governor said. “It’s the same as in the 1948 (California) case when blacks and whites were not allowed to marry. This falls into the same category.”
The governor’s position on the fate of the existing same-sex marriages aligns him with California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, who has said he believes that the state Supreme Court will uphold the existing marriages as valid.
The 14-word constitutional amendment does not state explicitly that it would nullify same-sex marriages performed before the Nov. 4 election, although proponents say it will. Legal experts differ on this point.
Supporters of Prop. 8 argue that the legal challenges are little more than desperate attempts to overturn the will of California voters.
It’s more than that, said Dennis Mangers, a former Orange County legislator who will take over next month as chief of staff to state Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento.
“It’s very clear we’re not going to take no for an answer,” said Mangers, who married his longtime partner this year. “If necessary, we’ll go back to the ballot … and give the voters of California another chance.”
The Role of the Church
In Oakland, the loud and peaceful protest outside the Mormon Temple included dozens of gay and lesbian couples whose marriages are in limbo. They were focusing their anger on the church because of its endorsement of Prop. 8 and the flood of campaign donations by LDS members.
But not all churches favored Proposition 8. In Pasadena, the 4,000-member All Saints Episcopal Church announced that while it could legally no longer marry same-sex couples, it would continue to bless gay civil unions.
“It’s very unfortunate and embarrassing that the (Christian religion) is in large part responsible for this act of bigotry,” the Rev. Ed Bacon told reporters after his Sunday sermon.
Obama WON . . but Prop 8 Passed
What an election: the joy and amazement of Obama’s victory, the heart-breaking passage of Prop 8 eliminating same-sex marriage in California, and the uncertainty of the Alaska Congressional races. The country moves forward with Hope and Change, but Alaska may be stuck with Ted and Don, and Californians betrayed their own neighbors.
The fight for gay rights will continue. Lawsuits have been filed to block Prop 8, and legal groups are preparing to defend the 18,000 same-sex marriages that were performed in California. Gay and lesbian couples can be legally married in Connecticut starting Nov. 12. Other New England states elected supportive legislatures and governors. Gay and lesbian candidates and allies around the country won races for the US Congress, state legislatures, city councils, school boards, and judicial positions. President-elect Obama supports the repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell’ military policy, and the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA.) Our issues aren’t priorities like the economy and the wars, but these bills will eventually move through Congress and we believe that Obama will keep his word and sign them.
Two steps forward, one step back . . . another step forward . . .
Mormons Fund Anti-Gay Amendment (Again)
The Mormon Church is a major player in organizing and funding Prop 8, a proposition to eliminate same-sex marriage in California. As of October 28, Mormons accounted for 46 percent of the total support for Prop 8, according to MormonsFor8.com.
Much of the Mormon money has been funneled into ad campaigns that are narrowing the gap between Prop 8’s passage and failure. Two months ago, it looked almost certain that Californians would reject the measure, feeling it stripped citizens of an important civil right.
But a series of commercials now in heavy rotation claim that if Prop 8 is defeated, the pleasures of same-sex marriage will be taught in public schools, although education experts reject this claim. And the checks continue to flow in from the church.
The Mormon Church also funded Alaska’s constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage in 1998.
But divisions have emerged in the Mormon community about the church’s role in the fight over Prop 8. Laura Compton, a married mother of two boys, started MormonsForMarriage.com to give Mormons who support same-sex marriage a way to know that “You are not alone. We especially want people who may be feeling estranged from the fellowship of their local congregations to know that they are not alone.”
Mormons disagree with the Church’s involvement in Prop 8 for different reasons — some believe in marriage equality, some think the money on the campaign should have been spent on social welfare projects, and others believe in the separation of church and state.
Meanwhile, the NO on 8 campaign created a video on Mormons taking away civil rights that are granted by the California Supreme Court:
Gay Alaskans on Sarah Palin: The Final Analysis
Gay and lesbian Alaskans overwhelmingly support Obama and Biden over McCain and Palin, according to last week’s poll on Bent Alaska. Why aren’t we voting for local girl Sarah Palin? What have we learned about her record on LGBT issues?
- She supported the 1998 state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
- She opposed the 2005 Alaska Supreme Court decision granting employee benefits to same-sex partners.
- In her 2006 run for governor, she stated that she does not support expanding hate crimes laws, that only married (heterosexual) couples deserve spousal benefits, and that one of her top three priorities is to preserve traditional marriage.
- During her first month as governor, she signed a bill asking the court to delay the implementation of same-sex partner benefits.
- She vetoed a bill that banned partner benefits in defiance of the Court ruling, because she knew the bill was unconstitutional. Her signing statement said that she opposed the court decision, although she was obligated to veto the bill.
- She signed a bill approving a statewide advisory vote on same-sex partner benefits, saying it would lay the groundwork for a state constitutional ban on the benefits.
- She attends a church that promotes ex-gay events, preaching that same-sex attractions must be suppressed or eliminated.
- Her church also worked to remove certain books from the public library and local bookstores, including a gay-positive book. As mayor, Palin questioned the librarian repeatedly about the book removal policy, then fired her.
- She supports a federal ban against gay marriage.
A few gay Alaskans support Palin as Vice President. I’ve heard two reasons for this:
1. “I’ve met her and she seems like a nice person,” and 2. “She’s Alaskan.”
But the vast majority of LGBT Alaskans are not voting for Palin, and most did not support her run for governor.
The following quotes are a sample of the comments by LGBT Alaskans that have crossed my screen since Gov. Palin’s nomination for Vice President:
“I cannot believe McCain played such a wild card. And I do not believe for a moment Palin is ready for this job. What a weird moment for our national history – not to mention Alaska history.”“She simply vetoed the bill banning health benefits to gays because it would violate her oath of office . . . So she supports banning same-sex benefits, but won’t violate the state constitution to do it. Wow. We don’t need ‘friends’ like that!”“I don’t think she’s ever said a friendly word about gay people, that they ought to have health benefits like other people do, or anything along those lines.”“I advocate strongly against any ticket which names Sarah Palin as a candidate. Of utmost importance to me . . . is Palin”s opposition to abortion and family planning rights. Palin opposes the use of birth control, as well sexual health education classes for teens.”“Palin does not choose to address long standing issues of discrimination, neglect, and alienation for the Native Alaskan population. How can we expect her to understand race, ethnicity, and minority issues on a national level? Her lack of cultural competency frightens me.”“The fact that she claims to have gay friends is great… She can be polite while removing our civil rights.”“Oh, hurray, she’s Alaskan, she’s cute, she’s energetic, she stood up to the big boys on oil, she gave us each $1200, she didn’t kick our asses as much as she could have in the advisory vote [against partner benefits.] She’ll still vote against us every time she has the chance, and being in national office gives her a lot more power to make us miserable.”“She is toooooo inexperienced and McCain is just tooooo old.”
Elias in LA with NO on 8: A Dead Heat in the Polls, Every Vote Counts
Elias Rojas, from Anchorage, is in California to help the NO on 8 campaign. If it passes, Proposition 8 will eliminate same-sex marriage in California.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in California since May 5, and there is no residency requirement. Thousands of gay and lesbian couples from all over the country have been legally married there during the past six months, including couples from Alaska.
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An Alaskan in California: Working to Defeat Prop. 8.
I just landed at Los Angeles International Airport. It’s about 70 degrees. I’m excited to be involved in the final days of the campaign to defeat this anti-gay constitutional amendment.
The election is now 72 hours away. Apparently, the Yes side sent a misleading message claiming that Obama and Biden support the elimination of same-sex marriage in California. This is a flat out lie! The opposition will do anything to win this vote.
A new poll shows 49% of California voters oppose the constitutional amendment and 44% support it, with 7% undecided. Support for gay issues is usually overstated by 5-7%, so it’s going to be very close.
Because this race is basically a dead heat, the side that gets more of their backers to the polls on Election Day will probably win. Over 7,000 people statewide have volunteered to help us get out the vote on Nov. 4.
I will arrive at the campaign office later tonight. I plan to send a quick update to you each night.
There is still time to donate to the NO on 8 campaign. Please visit the Alaska Fundraising page at: http://eqfed.org/equalityforall/fundraising/erojas2001-669616
In addition to giving, please call everyone you know in California and urge them to vote NO on Prop 8! This campaign could be decided by a few thousand votes.
