Sunday, November 16, 2008

"No More Mr. Nice Gay"

There were several incredible signs at yesterday's Anti-Prop 8 Rally in Federal Plaza here in Chicago - - and I will be posting them little by little in the coming week or so - - but as we started to march to Millennium Park, I saw this this woman's sweatshirt, which sums it all up.

She was walking with her boyfriend and said that the words came to her on the train ride to the rally. A Jennifer Beals-inspired sweatshirt has never looked so good.

The rally was good, there were many inspiring speakers and the plaza was filled with people young and old, gay and straight of all shapes, sizes and races, but after we made it to Millennium Park, the entire crowd ran into Michigan Avenue and stopped traffic. That's when I left.

I understand our anger, I understand wanting to do something that shouts, "We demand our rights!," but stopping traffic, in my opinion, is at cross purposes for what we really want.

The poor guy driving north on Michigan Avenue trying to get home or the bus driver just trying to get his riders to the next stop may or may not have a strong opinion about gay marriage one way or another, but stopping him dead in his tracks and forcing him to wait in traffic for however long it takes the crowd of homosexuals to get out of the street does nothing but piss him off.

And pissed off people aren't likely to take our side. Pissed off people are likely to do just the opposite.

Be angry, be filled with rage, but point that rage at the right people, at the right institutions. Demand our rights from someone who can actually DO something to help us achieve them.

Pissing off average citizens who have nothing to do with our struggle isn't going to help us or our cause. It's only going to make our fight harder. That's what I think, anyway.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anyone who's going to stand against us because the stripping away of our civil rights god forbid INCONVENIENCED him isn't too terribly worried about anyone but himself anyway.

This was a show of visibility and solidarity, and I salute any and everyone who was present. Thank you for being there when I couldn't, Stephen.

Aaron said...

I got some video of the girl with the sweatshirt...I'm going to try to post it as soon as it uploads (God, my computer's SO SLOW!).

Oh, and lots of video of you and Eric too. Prepare to be immortalized again, boys. :-)

MJMS said...

OMG. Yes fuck prop 8. It's so stupid and unmoral! I mean, marriage if for people who love one another. gender shouldn't effin matter! I just want to like slap those people who said yes to it. I saw a vid about these christians I believe & they said "We need to thank our american brothers and sisters for listening to us and making the right choice." I was SWEARING at the video! They showed it on one of the news channels. So dumb. & they were all cheering when they found out the result on prop 8. Omg. I love my cousin and his boyfriend. I see no fucking reason why they cant get married.... So fricken... UGH!!!! FRICK... I'm getting frustrated!!!!!

Java said...

Glad you were there. Wasn't any demonstration in my little town, and I couldn't get up to Greenville to participate in that one.

As for stopping traffic, well, not necessarily a good idea, but sometimes a statement is a statement. As long as they didn't stand in the street for too long.

james said...

i guess you are right, especially if the move to the streets was unplanned and drivers, etc. had no way to know about it ahead of time. too bad they couldn't have inconvenienced the arch bishop of chicago, who is against gay marriage and who has helped to fight marriage equality. it ain't all mormons, you know.