Protests in West Hollywood
Many years ago when Pete Wilson vetoed anti-discrimination in employment and housing legislation a similar thing happened although on a much larger scale. Spontaneous eruptions of people out of the bars and into the streets. The protests and marches continued for about a week.
These are what all those silly staged protests you have seen over the years should be and want to be. You get into the street, you express your justifiable anger, and then come back home and get to work. Its a fundamentally American experience. When you get back home, new organizations and groups are formed, and old ones are invigorated or replaced. The movement goes forward and succeed beyonds your wildest dreams.
I marched those many years ago, at the front of the column that went to Century City and the Hotel where Wilson was supposedly staying that night. Another column was marching toward where he was attending some fund-raiser or something. They eventually joined back up with us later in the evening.
Back then the idea that gays and lesbians might be able to get married anywhere at all some day isn't something that would have even occurred to me. It was so far off my radar I thought it was something that was surely permanently out of reach for me, at least for my lifetime. Its hard to explain this, but its not just that we have since then succeeded beyond my wildest dreams, for we certainly have. Its that back then marriage wasn't even something I dared to dream of, it was so far out of reach. It just never occurred to me that it could be even a remote possibility. I never even considered it.
I carry on my key-chain today a whistle. Its the same one I used that night after my voice gave out. Today it sounds just as loud, if not louder than it did way back then. A lot, if not most of my friends that were around that night are gone now, but I still remain, as do you and everyone else that came after. And thats worth everything.
This morning all the people that voted for Prop 8 are discovering to their dismay that gays and lesbians didn't vanish in a poof of smoke over-night. They are finding out that no matter how they vote, we are still here, and we will continue to be here.
We ain't going anywhere and we are just as much a part of this great country as they are. And we aren't going to just survive Prop 8, we are going to thrive and grow and expand until the promise of America is kept for everybody. (including us). Remember that, and don't give up, and don't get down. You are important. Your life has meaning and substance even when others don't want to fully recognize that and give you your due. So keep your head held up high, and just keep moving forward.
