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Reports of more civil disobedience actions from the LGBT community. From Sign-on San Diego.
On the day hundreds of gay and lesbian couples statewide planned to obtain their long-awaited marriage licenses, a crowd of about 50 people gathered at the county clerk’s office Thursday to protest a federal judge’s stay of a federal ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
“We believe that county officials and the Attorney General have the authority and the obligation to allow marriage licenses to proceed based on both federal court findings and that Prop. 8 is unconstitutional and the governor’s filings in Prop. 8 cases,” Tyler Dylan-Hyde said. “We are asking you to do what’s right.”
Three heterosexual couples had approached for their scheduled appointments this morning. The group refused to move and allow the couples access to the office.
Call me a radical, but I’m a fan of no Justice, no peace strategies myself. (Protestors in fact shouted: “We shall not be moved. No equality. No business as usual.”) I see these actions as a helpful addition to the public discourse, but by no means a replacement. We can still work, in the courts, at the ballot box, in the halls of Congress.
But, the political disenfranchisement of LGBT community and our disadvantage of being a small minority make such tactics an uphill battle. It’s so easy to ignore our community’s call for equality, in the media, in the political sphere. And, of course, there are always so many more important things going on…
The forces that fight us are relentless, tireless, Machiavellian and do everything in their power to remain covert. While many of our allies remain feckless and disengaged. We need to demonstrate how important these goals are to our community. Our civil rights are at stake, the government’s obligation to treat us equally under the law.
And we’re not afraid to take our fight out into the sun, into the spotlight, because we’re right. Our actions will be vindicated by history, as have the similar actions of those who came before; fighting unjust wars, the right for women to vote, and the right for men to be men, not property.
I salute these activists.
GetEqual tweeted 12 were arrested, this report says 3 arrested, 6 “later removed.” Investigating. Sure more details will become available soon.
13 Comments
Gotta love America…Fight for equality and get arrested and thrown in jail. But protest equality like Westboro Baptist and the courts find FOR you. Protest equality like Harry Ried or Howard Dean and remain in office. Protest equality like Obama or Clinton, and be the President or Secretary of State.
Apparently, America runs on bigotry.
This is truly exciting.Where’s the next protest going to be? Can’t wait to read about more.
We’re not only fighting for equality, we’re fighting against homophobia in our own communityI don’t call you a radical at all, clrknt67, I call you what you are: a self-loathing queer.
First of all, you’re using a straw man argument. No one has ever suggested we either 1) work only in courts and through lobbying OR 2) engage in civil disobedience. Well, actually Gay Inc does insist we obey their strategy (number 1) and ridicules, attacks, laughs off, or ignores anyone who dares question the almighty authority of these unelected, closet Democratic Party operatives. What these and every other non-Gay Inc activist I’ve worked with and met over the last two years have argued is that we need to start talking about the fact that 1) Gay Inc’s 30 year strategy is a dead end failure and 2)we need to start coming up with other ways of winning equality. Why are folks like you so afraid of change? In my dictionary, that’s CONSERVATIVE. And that’s a sad thing. The leadership of Gay Inc. is much more conservative than real live lgbt people are.
Where would black people be today if black leaders told black people they didn’t deserve rights and should always beg for rights from white people?
Where would abortion rights be if women fighting for abortion rights went around telling each other they were wrong to want control over their own bodies?
Why is it so damn acceptable for GAY people to tell other GAY people that we’re wrong for wanting to be equal and that we’re bad for choosing something other than the FAILED strategies of begging for our rights from the courts and politicians?
You “salute” these activists at the same time as you attack them. It’s this sort of contradiction and confusion about tactics, strategy, and what exactly we’re fighting for that keeps us from full equality. We need a movement for equality that actually thinks we deserve equality.
Are you new here?That you call me a self-loathing queer is a charge worth even remarking on.
That you seem to be oblivious to the push back to civil disobedience actions, indicates perhaps you’re new to the gay blogosphere. I direct you to this very representative comment over at Bilerico Project, just posted today:
Yes, there seems to be a misunderstanding that these actions do not substitute for other actions, they enhance them. They do not, imo, undermine them nor are they counter-productive.
I’m really very confused where you think I am attacking them. Perhaps the fault lies in my hasty writing, and I was unclear in my expression.
What the hell are you talking about?I went back and reread Clark’s posting after I read your comment, thinking I might have missed something. But there is nothing, not one word, that can reasonably be construed as an attack on these activists. Can you please explain where you found that? Where precisely does Clark “tell other GAY people that we’re wrong for wanting to be equal”? If you can’t point to specific language that supports what you wrote (and I don’t think you can), you owe the man a BIG apology.
ClarkI think you were clear. You were preempting criticism by putting it out there and then refuting it.
Yes, I think this is a new commenter… who did not fully understand the hyperbole you were using in the piece. Good piece Clarknt67. Let's be sure everyone understands what you mean.PS. The hate language must go lopez… This is a civil coffee shop, No name calling here, please.
Right, Clarknt is saying he is a BIG FAN of activism like this.by saying right here….
Thus supporting these demonstrators… again because we are IN THE MINORITY and must be the squeaky wheel to be heard.
Good squeaking folks.
“What’s So Gay About Marriage”?I hope Blenders will check out my newest blog posting at Huffington Post.
In case you’re wondering, it’s slightly tongue-in-cheek.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…
Enjoy!
Lev
I was planning on going to the courthouse to cover this……but my car decided to be hot and bothered towards me for the past two days.
My blue friend is now in therapy with our Navy Exchange mechanic.
Cool!Go team!!! However blocking heteros from getting their license was wrong. Sounds petty.
Agreed.We would go nuts if gay marriages had gone forward and anti-gay protesters tried to stand in our way. Although inequality remains enforced in California, the straight couples who showed up to get licenses yesterday did not do so in order to taunt us.