Feb 13th, 2009
Freedom to Marry Day
The Minnesota State Capitol saw a few hundred fair-minded citizens, rallying for marriage equality. My role these days is to be in the crowd and be counted; very different from what I have done in previous years.
A counter-demonstrator sat in the front with a sign that said “Defend Marriage” with symbols of “man” + “woman.” (This, to me, looks like signage for a unisex public bathroom.)
Counter-protest if you must, but this guy YELLED and interrupted the speakers many, many times. His mantra was “let the people vote!” This man happened to be in a wheelchair. How would he feel if rights for disabled citizens were brought to the voting booth for the general population to decide? No one would tolerate such an insulting and dehumanizing process; why should couples of the same gender be expected to wait until the majority of Minnesotans are “ready” to grant them their rights?
Here’s a shot of the man and his sign (he is looking up at the signs up in the balcony) juxtaposed with a banner for marriage equality above him:
When Senator John Marty (now a gubernatorial hopeful) stepped up to the podium, he pointed out that the rally was indeed about defending marriage — defending it for all, without discrimination. Outfront Minnesota’s Kelly Lewis stood with him, holding up an altered sign that brought applause and cheers:
[...]Minnesota: Freedom to Marry Day, Damn Straight, Abigail Garner. By the way, Garner has written a fantastic book about children of gay parents called Families Like Mine[...]
Great story – and I’ve emailed my 14 yr old and 21 yr old daughters your URL(s) — I think they’ll appreciate your perspective. They have FOUR lesbian moms!!
Keep up the great work.
It takes a special kind of solipsism to see yourself as the victim of someone else’s marriage.
I usually try my best to see all sides of these issue, but I really don’t “get” the anti-same-sex-marriage people. There’s no rhyme or reason to them.
TRiG,
Ireland.
P.S. I love your book.
That is Chaplain Gerard Dols, an ex-gay who for the last year or so claims to have known Harvey Milk and says he’s the book and movie about him.
He also says he hates in-your-face activists. He certainly appears to be in your face here, doesn’t he?