UPDATE: Anchorage protest is Noon at the Atwood building. Fairbanks is at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall. Check the press release for details. Thanks.
Alaska is joining the national protest against Prop 8!
Rallies are planned in Anchorage and Fairbanks on Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m., to coincide with the 10:30 a.m. west coast/ 1:30 p.m. east coast protests.
The Alaska page is: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/Alaska
Many gay and lesbian couples from Alaska were married in California this summer, and many more want the option to marry. Alaskans held several No on Prop 8 fundraisers, wrote to friends and relatives in California urging them to vote No, and a few traveled there to work on the No on 8 campaign.
The passage of California's anti-gay marriage amendment is also personal to gay and lesbian Alaskans because we experienced similar votes. Gay marriages were banned in Alaska by a constitutional amendment passed in 1998 after a mean-spirited campaign by our opponents, and our fellow Alaskans voted to take away our Court-granted family employment benefits in the advisory vote of April 2007. (The benefit vote was non-binding, and the benefits remain, for now.)
Twice in the last decade, we lived through months of public debate on whether we are citizens or abominations. Twice, a majority of our neighbors and coworkers voted against our humanity. We struggled to remain positive, productive residents of a state that does not consider us 'equal under the law.'
Alaskans will protest the passage of Prop 8 on Nov. 15, in support of marriage equality and in solidarity with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities protesting at the same time all across this country. Please join us!
Ill be there.
ReplyDeletelooks like its going to be visuals along the Seward highway and parking at the Sullivan arena area.... I hope this is correct. Details on jointheimpact.com is a little VAGUE in my opinion.
Ill be bringing signs for people that cant make any. equality!
So good to see this. Yes, this something that can make a difference. The nation needs to see us organizing. FEET ON THE STREET!
ReplyDeleteGene and I live in a whole country where gay and lesbian couples are legally recognized--and while its' not called marriage (yet), it is wonderful. It's worth the struggle to obtain. Our worth is worth it.
Just do it. Join this effort. Enlist your friends and family, your co-workers, your mechanic, your dentist, your classmates, your florist, your broker, your hair stylist, your attorney, your employees, your church, your organization...
You get the idea. And we will watch from London with hope that you show up in the thousands!
Jay and Gene Dugan-Brause
Anon - This protest should not happen along Seward Hwy! The national organizers couldn't find a "city hall" for Anchorage, so they stuck in the Sullivan Arena. It would be better to have it at a city or state building like most of the other protests, or at a church that has waged political battles against us.
ReplyDeleteThe Atwood building downtown (state offices) might be a good choice.
The contact person is Jess: akgypsy@gmail.com . Hopefully she will have more info for us soon.
ok that is what i was trying to figure out WHY...i called the lgbt center and they had no idea. i have e-mailed that person twice and no replies. worst case scenario we meet at the Sullivan arena and then head over to downtown?!
ReplyDeleteI need to know the details on this event, i have many friends that want to come join us for this protest/rally. Any updates on this site would be helpful! Thanks to the organizer for the event...its like Hello, we ARE in Alaska!!!
ReplyDeleteDustin - I'll post more info as soon as I hear from the organizers.
ReplyDeleteAnon - good point: we'll need someone to stay at Sullivan to direct people downtown (or wherever.)
Stay tuned . . .
Can we post this on bentalaska.com homepage??? sounds like some are agreeing to this and we can start tonight on getting the message out on this protest/rally!
ReplyDelete------------------------------
Local gay, lesbian, straight citizens to protest passage of anti-gay constitutional amendments in Arizona, Florida, California
ANCHORAGE — A group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and straight citizens will take to the streets of ANCHORAGE to protest the passage of Proposition 8, California’s anti-gay marriage amendment, as well as other anti-gay ballot initiatives in Arkansas, Arizona and Florida.
Every day since Election Day, thousands have protested up and down streets in cities across California, including in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento. A national, grassroots coalition of LGBT activists have followed in their footsteps.
On Nov. 15, 1:30 p.m. EST/10:30 a.m. PST, in large cities and state capitals across the country, Pro-Equality supporters will raise public awareness of the need for LGBT equality in marriage and in other civil rights.
WHAT: Prop. 8 Protest - Equal rights
WHO: LGBT and straight citizens of Anchorage
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008; 12pm (Noon)
WHERE: 550 W 7th AVE, ATWOOD Building