Let's jump right in, shall we?
This past Saturday I joined over 1,000 of my fellow equality activists...in the bitter cold, mind you (wince)...to protest in St. Louis the passage of Prop. 8 in California.
I had worried that the cold spell would discourage attendance...it didn't.
I also worried that the crowd wouldn't be diverse...but it was.
People often prove me wrong.
And sometimes they don't.
I am the daughter of Civil Rights activists...not famous people, but two of the many everyday Americans who volunteered and risked their lives in the struggle for the protected vote and equality. Growing up, my parents made sure that their children knew that our rights were fought for...and the how and why behind those battles.
So when Missourians voted in favor of a same-sex marriage ban in 2004, I was saddened but not discouraged.
History teaches us that Civil Rights are often won in the courts and society is slow to follow.
And when Californians voted in favor of Proposition 8, I'll admit to being surprised...but I sure as shit am not discouraged.
The night before Election Day, I watched a segment of the documentary Eyes on the Prize and saw young people, older people...women and men of every race and religion...participate in social change. And their efforts provided the fuel that led to legal changes which made it possible for me to stand before that crowd November 15, 2008 and add my voice to the chorus calling for justice.
The cold spell didn't discourage attendance.
The crowd was fired up and beautifully diverse.
And we begin again...
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Notes from a bitch....
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.feministing.com/cgi-bin/movabletype/mt-tb.fcgi/10519
Oh, thank you. I needed that. Hope. Ahhh.
I've been telling the everyone I know that it was a call to arms, not a loss... I'll just send 'em your way, you say it so well.
Thank you so much for this post! It made me feel hopeful again. I don't know why this has upset me so much... I think it was the fact that I was so excited about Obama's election, and felt that maybe the country that has let me down the past eight years was finally coming around... only to have this happen. It really felt like a slap in the face! I felt like when Bush was re-elected in '04, I had naively assumed that OF COURSE Bush wouldn't be re-elected, you'd have to be an idiot to vote for him again, and was so shocked and upset when he was. I guess I felt that way about Prop. 8, that OF COURSE it wouldn't pass, and... geez, let down again. Like I said, combined with my extreme glee and hopefulness regarding Obama's election, it was especially disheartening. It's nice to be reminded that many times, as much as I wish civil rights were as obvious to everyone as they are to me, it is a process, and one we will win.
BTW, Eyes on the Prize is the best documentary EVER! We had to watch that in my Society and Prejudice class in college, and I was blown away. (It's always so hard to be in a class and be fighting back tears!) So much so that my husband and I paid to own the entire series. I recommend it to anyone.
Anyhow, thanks again!
Keri
Good post and btw I am a student and we saw Eyes of the Prize. I am not one to say everybody should see something but I think everyone should see that...
I am sorry I couldn't join you at that protest this weekend, but I am glad to hear that many people came.
As a heterosexual person, I am surprised at how offended and upset I am that Prop 8 passed. I find I can't think too much about it, because I become enraged. The argument that gay marriage hurts marriage in some way is so ridiculous, I can't beleive that anyone credits it! It's not like anyone is proposing a law that only gay people can get married. What does anyone's marriage have to do with anyone else? How can so many people think it is all right for people to force their religious preferences on everyone else? Because that is what they are doing.
Argh, I am getting too upset to string together coherent sentences again. I keep starting something and erasing it. I will have to search out that Eyes on the Prize documentary, thanks for that recommendation.
Thanks for this uplifting post! It's always helpful to look back at what we've accomplished as we see what has yet to be done.