Prop 8: Notes from the Protest
This past Saturday, something incredible happened in Chicago and around the globe, the true magnitude of which I doubt our community will fully comprehend for years to come. With demonstrators assembled in nearly every state across the U.S. and in several countries worldwide, the LGBT community made its opinion on California's passage of the anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 echo throughout the land.
The effort was miraculous, and not just for the fact that millions of people turned out to hit the streets. In just over a week, the creators of JoinTheImpact.com were able to galvanize our community by utilizing social networking web tools and building a massive grassroots action that the organizers of our movement's Stonewall days could never have imagined.
In Chicago, we said it loud and clear. On that frigid Saturday afternoon, I was just one of several thousand people who marched through the streets of the Loop, blocking traffic on busy streets including State St. and Michigan Ave. We marched until our feet ached and chanted our battle cries of "Equal rights now!" and "Homophobia has got to go!" until we lost our voices. We created a visibility of our community that, judging by the shocked and sometimes confused expressions of onlookers, was not quite expected of us.
"What is Prop. 8?," asked one onlooker of a demonstrator, who then explained the California measure and its far-reaching effects to the curious woman. "Oh," she replied, "that is truly horrible -- I support you all. Stay warm!"
Other pedestrians who watched us march through the streets with our colorful signs, banners and rainbow flags showed their support in quieter, but equally meaningful ways. One older gentleman slowly clapped in unison to the words reverberating through a megaphone: "Yes! We! Can!" As I looked at him, I saw a single tear stream from his eye before reaching his trembling lip.
As we marched on, alongside our friends and lovers, not to mention the very supportive police officers, cars honked in support, children waved from busses and office workers watched the diversion from their high rise's windows. Smiles, peace signs and thumbs up were our main source of warmth on this chilly afternoon.
Not all of the reactions were positive. I would be remiss if I described the expressions on the faces of some onlookers as anything but annoyed. "You think you're so special that you can shut down the streets? Is that what you think?" screamed one woman, shopping bags in tow, at a protester.
Obviously, she had missed the point. Millions of people did not hit the streets because they were feeling special. We marched because we've grown tired of hearing why our love is different from others' love. We marched for what is ours; what was taken away in California and other states that approved anti-gay legislation on November 4. We marched for equality.
The demonstration struck a chord with me on a personal level, too. As a twenty-something newcomer to the city of Chicago, fresh on the heels of life on a politically engaged college campus, I wondered if urban life came hand in hand with apathy, particularly for those of my generation. I wondered if the election buzzwords like "hope" and "change" would inspire action beyond the rhetoric. Frankly, I wondered if we had it in us.
As I looked around at my fellow protesters, however, I could tell that we do. Apathy is an endangered species. Last Saturday, we took a broad step forward by re-lighting the torch of the civil rights battle of our age. And we are going to continue to fight this battle until equality is ours.
The movement continues this Saturday, November 22, at 5 P.M., with a demonstration, led by the Gay Liberation Network, outside of the Century Theater, 1715 Maple St. in Evanston. The theater is owned by Cinemark Company, whose CEO, Alan Stock, donated nearly $10,000 in support of Prop. 8.