One year after losing the right to marry and a day after Maine voted to ban same-sex marriage, the organizations: Meet in the Middle for Equality, Erase the H8, GayFresno.com, EQCA, Courage Campaign, Central California Alliance demonstrated for marriage equality at Shaw and Blackstone.
The event was a candle-light vigil but it was not a mourning. The tone was one of frustration and debate, even anger, about the return for a ballot initiative to legalize same-sex marriages.
Robin McGehee, the gay activist and leader for the Fresno and the valley, explained, “It’s not a vigil for something dying. It’s candlelight for people to keep the faith,” she said. But even McGehee expressed her impatience. “I am tired of vigils and mourning’s. It’s time to take action. In civil rights movements, the element of protest can’t be just lobbying. I want to do more acts of civil disobedience. I want to do things that are going to agitate.”
A lack of apathy on the part of the LGBT community in CA, fueled the frustration. Jason Scott who phone-banked for 5 hours the day before thought the voting results would be more positive. “I thought it was going 60/40 our way. I was disappointed with the results.” Scott was not only disappointed with the voting results in Maine, he was disappointed with Californians who did not volunteer and did not seem to appreciate the importance of the voting initiative. “I saw a disconnect from our LGBT community. Maine is such a small state. They needed help from the outside states. People might feel it doesn’t affect them directly. Any progression in LGBT rights affects the movement everywhere.”
Scotti Maldonado from Equality California, just returned from canvassing in Maine. He described Maine as, “ very conservative place but independent politically. They were supportive on college campuses.”
Jay Matthew, the regional representative for Restore Equality in the central valley is collecting 1.2 million signatures for an initiative in 2010. With a fist-pumping speech, Matthew implored the crowd to join his movement. “The reality of the situation is we cannot stop fighting. We have moved more points in the last year because we are fighting,” Matthew said. Matthew argued the importance of acting immediately because proponents against same-sex marriage are pushing for a constitutional convention to limit voters initiative in the future.
There were supporters for returning with a voter initiative and there were those who questioned whether we should wait until 2012. Scott said, “Based on our loss in Maine, it concerns me that 2010 is too soon. We need to come together and work towards a common goal.”
Whatever is decided, it is necessary that all of these organizations come together. When we consider that Proposition 8 passed by only four percent, a coalescing of all forces is needed for the victory of same-sex marriage passing.
Contact info:
Jay Matthew (559) 715-2010
RestoreEquality2010.com
email: [email protected]
Scotti Maldonado (559) 486-3000
Equality California
email: [email protected]
