The Journal

Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Stew Smith On Saturday, Nov. 15, a protester holds up a sign in downtown St. Louis to display his outrage over California's decision to ban same-sex marriage.

Media Credit: Lauren Kirkwood A protester outside of the Old Courthouse stayed warm by draping herself with a gay peace flag. The weather reached freezing temperatures, but at least 1,000 people still protested Proposition 8.

Media Credit: Brent Johnston Alexander Ocaslo (left) and Adam Summer embrace each other after a speech on why marriage is fitting for all people who love each other, not just straight people.

Media Credit: Stew Smith Protestors outside of the Old Courthouse celebrate the success of the event by holding signs and cheering for cameramen and news station videographers

Media Credit: Lauren Kirkwood More than 1,000 people were in attendance in front of the Old Courthouse at the Prop 8 rally including students, church leaders, politicians and other citizens.

Temperatures averaged 35 degrees Fahrenheit
and it was rumored that some saw flurries flying over the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis as more than 1,000 gays, bisexuals
and straight supporters and allies met for two hours on Nov. 15 to show their disapproval of California citizens passing Proposition 8.
On Nov. 4, about 53 percent of pollers in California voted in favor of the proposition, adding a new amendment
to the California Constitution that reads "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized
in California." The official results of the vote will not be released
until Dec. 13 in order to count all of the absentee and provisional ballots, the California secretary
of state's office
said. What affect
this will have on couples who were previously married is still being discussed.
Throughout the U.S., 1 million lesbian, bisexual,
gay, transsexual, queer and straight people met in cities over the country at noon to protest the actions of California.
Tracy Lee, a WU graduate student in teaching English as a second language and as a foreign language, said it was inspirational
to see so many people, first in California, then in cities throughout the country, protesting something that only immediately affects one state.
"When one million people scream, people listen," Lee said. "America is made up of one nation, not 50 kingdoms.
Until we get that equality, no one wins."
The night before the protest, six students
from Webster University met students
from Washington University, bartenders
from Novak's and members of the St. Louis community at 7 p.m. at Mokabe's on Arsenal Street to make signs for the protest. Nick Dunne, a sophomore public relations major and president of WU's LGBTQ, said the Campus Democrats supplied the poster board and markers
and Ed Reggi, a St. Louis community
member and master of ceremonies
for the protest, said Home Depot, Inc., provided the wooden stakes for the posters.
"I know people who are passionate
about gay rights," Dunne said. "I've never protested before and there's nothing I'm more passionate about than gay rights."
Sen. Joan Bray, D-Mo., asked protestors to hold on to their energy
until Jan. 7, 2009, when she will take the non-discrimination act to Jefferson City.
"We need everyone's support," she said. "Missouri is not exclusive, it's inclusive.
Missouri is not full of haters; we're lovers. We need your support."
Teen suicide among gay and bisexuals are three times that of other children, 35 states currently have passed amendments that ban gay marriage and the number of hate crimes throughout the U.S. is increasing every year, said activist Steve Houdsworth, and verified by Hetrick-Martin Institute, an organization
that provides social support and programming for the at-risk LGBTQ community.
Similarly, Karen Aroesty, member of the Hate Crimes Task Force, said of the 114 hate crime victims in St. Louis in 2007, nine said they were targeted because of their sexual orientation.
"Proposition 8 is hate with funding,"
Franklin said.
Reason for Protest:
Because at least 20 WU students came, Lydia Schulte, a sophomore anthropology and religious studies major, said she thinks the protest will increase awareness among students
and professors. Lynn Foster, a graduate counseling student, said she came to the Old Courthouse needing approval.
"(My partner) and I had our 'holy union' on June 28, 2008 and we want to make it legal," Foster said. "We've known each other for 18 years and we just want to make it official."
Lee said she came out to her mom in spring 2007 and her mom said she no longer wants to see her daughter, just because she's gay.
"It doesn't make sense because I'm her only daughter," Lee said. "She didn't send me anything before (my partner) and I got married. When I asked her about it, she asked me 'What do you have to celebrate?' I felt abandoned. How could anyone preach that much hate, especially to their only child?"
Protestors and speakers discussed hate in terms of people condemning gays because of how they choose to live their life and how it negatively affects
those around them.
"(People) call it a lifestyle," said poet Sistah Speak. "People think we chose to enter this world of hate and animosity against us. You can hate me, you can judge me but if I never had problems, I wouldn't know God could solve them."
Achievement Hopes:
"Because this is part of the whole northwestern protest, it will hopefully
make the statement to California
that they did something wrong," Dunne said.
Reggi said society should not stop fighting until everyone in the U.S. is seen as equal.
"Today we stand up having meaning
and purpose," he said. "I do not accept that it was the will of the California
voters and I do not think it was the will of Missouri voters in 2004."
In 2004, Missouri citizens voted on basically the same amendment, and, with about 70 percent of the vote, passed the amendment making gay marriage illegal in Missouri.
"We have the most powerful force of creation on our side - love," said Chad Allen, star of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine
Woman," about gays. "My partner
is at the rally in L.A. and said he hasn't seen anything like it since being in the war."
Schulte said her parents raised her to grow up thinking that it was normal
to have two dads or two moms and only found out from her Catholic elementary school teacher that this wasn't traditional.
"My two best friends from high school came out of the closet and I know how hard it is for them," she said. "I was raised not to think that's not normal. When I found out otherwise,
I was really surprised."
Sondra Seiler, a researcher at the Washington University Medical Center, has been with her partner, Jane Ellen Ibur, a WU alumna of 1972, for 34 years.
"I think it's the word 'marriage' that scares people, rather than the idea of a civil union," Seiler said. "I don't need 'marriage,' I just need the legal rights. Because we can't get married, I can't leave my retirement money to my partner and we're taxed more, even though we're in the same situation as a married couple."
Brenda Thacker, a senior ancient studies major, said there is only one hazard to nuptials.
"The only threat to marriage is divorce," she said. "My parents got divorced when I was five. That hurts people more than having gay parents."
Braidy Hood, a senior radio and TV marketing and media management
major at Southern Illinois University
- Carbondale, said she came because two of her best friends are gay and that there should be more love and equality.
"This protest brings awareness to people that love and equality are beautiful," Hood said. "We should be celebrating these things, not scorning these people."
"I've stood on the side of love for as long as I can remember," said the Rev. Krista Taves, of the Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel in Ellisville,
Mo. "But not being able to marry felt like a taunt, that this will never be the same for us. I have to remember that heterosexuals are not the enemy. Homophobia is."
Potential Problems:
Protests in Chicago and New York incorporated marches through main streets near their main plaza and city hall, respectively. While Dunne said a march would be exciting,
he said he hoped the protest wouldn't turn violent.
"St. Louis people are mature enough not to start a riot," Dunne said. "If it gets violent, I'm leaving. I won't stay because I don't want to make our school look bad; I don't want to make the LGBTQ Alliance look bad; and I don't want to make St. Louis look bad."
A police officer said, after talking to city officials, there were no indications
that there would be any problems.
However, to ensure the safety of the protesters, community members ensured that the protestors didn't get in the way of the cars.
"Community organization is alive and well," said Scott Emanuel, a public education manager and speaker. "If we pay attention to how this feels and we build on it, we can get stuff done."
The WU students expresses surprise
that there were no counter-protestors, fighting the actions of the protestors.
"I was very surprised, yet happy, that no one came to protest the protest,"
Foster said. "Maybe people in St. Louis are ready to give us equal rights and are maybe going to accept us."
Lee said that people didn't come to protest against everyone at the courthouse because she thinks they've hopefully realized that they're preaching hate.
The Protest:
Reggi introduced 25 speakers in two hours to show community support
in St. Louis.
Mayor Francis Slay was the first to speak in front of the protestors. He came to show his support for his gay sister and to show everyone that gay people are an active part of the community.
"Gay women have been serving in government for years," Slay said. "They are top members of my staff and my cabinet. There is no reason for someone to judge people based on their sexual orientation rather than their abilities."
Foster she thinks it's good to have government officials who support gay rights and she agreed with Slay's new motto: Instead of "show-me-hate," he looks forward to a time when it becomes
"show-me-with-pride."
Valerie Jackson, member of the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis, said the pride of the country will hopefully come with President-elect Barack Obama.
"I saw a flame being lit with the first African-Americans were named the next first family," Jackson said. "Obama, in his acceptance speech, said 'my constituents, gay and straight,' and this means something. It means that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel."
Houdsworth said it wasn't just Proposition 8 that frustrated him, but also that Arkansas is working to stop gays from adopting children.
"That's what's coming next," Houdsworth said. "We need to turn this anger into activism. Every time our civil rights are challenged, we have to do something."
Those rights, according to Erise Williams, a member of St. Louis Black Pride, include people's right to the freedom to choose their religion, their lifestyle and their spouse.
"All humans possess the right to marry their lover," Williams said. "The denial of any person or group of people to marry is a denial of our right to be happy."
Towards the end of the ceremony, Reggi led the group in a moment of silence for the "people no longer married
and those whose parents are who are no longer married."
Following the moment of silence, Darlene Green, St. Louis City comptroller,
said, as a black female, she knows what it's like to not have the rights that other citizens had. She said Proposition 8 should not be allowed to hold society back from allowing rights to all.
"We don't live apart, therefore we should all share in the equality that this country offers," Green said. "We are a people that live in a time when we did not have equal rights for all. It is our time to fight."
Two high school students, Crosby Franklin, from at Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, and Alexa James, from Pattonville Senior High School in Maryland Heights, joined all of the professional speakers, politicians and activists to show that adolescents do care and do have a say in the society.
Franklin's parents told her that she was free to marry whomever she wanted, whether it is a guy or another girl.
"The important part was the love," she said. "My parents always told me they want me to be happy, no matter which sex I like."
James echoed this statement and said she initially felt the decision made by California was a joke, but when she realized that it wasn't, she said people need to be educated so they can make a decision when they vote.
Eva Erge, a junior English and secondary
education major, said seeing the high school students was inspiring
because they are the upcoming generation and are already being an active part of the community. Lee said she hopes teens continue to act in the community because so many of them do stay in the shadows.
"Maybe a teen can see us and say a prayer to us and for themselves," Lee said. "I'm a lesbian Buddhist, but I can't see how people can hate use for being ourselves."
Some speakers kept the mood light, particularly with professing their love for others, and, in some cases, sharing recent engagements.
"I am proud, I am Latino, I am out and I am recently engaged!" said community
member Jenny Sanchez. "We have every color of the rainbow in our rainbow!"
In addition to Sanchez, Allen said he called his boyfriend at the L.A. rally,
and after an emotional exchange, asked his partner to marry him. Because
the noise was so loud, Allen didn't hear the response, but, just before
coming on stage, received a text from his partner saying "yes."
Aftermath:
"It was nice to see a lot of government
officials and corporations represented," Erge said after hearing from Bill Donius, chairman of Pulaski Bank. "The mood was uplifting and there wasn't a lot of anger."
At the end of the speeches, Reggi thanked WU, Mokabe's, PROMO, Missouri's statewide organization advocating
for LGBTQ equality through legislative action, electoral politics, grass-roots organizing and community
education, and the St. Louis City Police. The afternoon concluded with another performance by the Rev. Susan
Drake and the Rev. Julie Jennings, singing "It's not your fault God created you this way."
"We will be stronger and on January
20, we will swear in a new president
who has promised us hope and a better Supreme Court," Slay said. "By working together, blacks, whites, men, women, gay, lesbian, bisexual - we will make St. Louis a better place."
The speakers emphasized that it is important for the protestors to realize that their duty was not done after the protest ended.
"You can go home and be complacent
or you can stand up and make things happen here at home in St. Louis," said A.J. Bockelman, executive director of PROMO. "You work is not done by 2 p.m. when this protest ends. We cannot sit on the sidelines."
As for those lack of sidelines, Dunne said he will be in Jefferson City on Jan. 7.
"My first thought when they mentioned
that date was that we're still off for winter break," he said. "We have enough people who know how to protest
and get done what they want and still make St. Louis and the LGBTQ alliance look good."

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