| "What do we want?" "Equality!" "When do we want it?" "Now!"
 That has been the rallying cry the past few weeks as thousands have gathered in Sacramento, out in the streets, in the public square and in front of the State Capitol. Today we gathered in Cesar Chavez square right in front of the Sacramento City Hall. The police I talked to estimated the crowd between 1,000-2,000 people. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be outside with our community, in joint action, to speak out against the rights that were taken away from so many Californians on election day.
The rally was one of hundreds of Join the Impact protests planned for today in small towns and big cities across the country. It was the brainchild of an ordinary activist who thought big, built a platform and watched it explode.
The main organizer of this event was a new local group called Equality Action Now. They have put together a website and an email list, were selling t-shirts, gathering donations, got the permits and loudspeakers, and coordinated a list of speakers to address the thousands of gay people and their allies. It is truly incredible to see the work people are putting into organizing in their own communities. They are not the traditional standard bearers of the equality movement or the large organizations. These are few people who stood up and decided to be leaders. They are the strength of this new movement for equality.
 These local, impassioned and empowered new organizers and leaders are the reason why the next time marriage equality is on the ballot we will win. We have all felt the taste of defeat and the pain of having our rights taken away. All of us can and must do more than we did this past time.
For those who haven't been to one of these rallies, I will try and explain the emotions being there, especially as a gay woman. At first it is a thrill to see so many people, people you didn't know existed, gathering today for the same purpose. Then you feel a sense of power being amongst the crowds, the unity of purpose, the strength in numbers. But then sadness starts to creep in and the pain of realizing what transpired to make this happen. It is emotional and tough to stand there and chant for rights you once had and chant against your fellow Californians who voted to take away those rights from you.
Today, I ended up leaving before the march around the Capitol, because it was too hard on my girlfriend to be there, sharing an intimate pain in such a public manner. This is still raw, still painful. It will always be emotional, but the anguish should fade. Hopefully, the energy will not. We need all of the people rallying together across the state and country to put in the hard work to repeal Prop 8.
More about the rally on the flip, including pictures... |
