The Ryan Thomas Collection

From San Francisco to San Diego. Los Angeles to Texas. Fargo to New York City. Saturday, November 15th, 2008 may become known as the launching pad of a new national movement for gay civil rights not seen since the 1970s. Empowered by new technologies and utilizing traditional means of protest, gays and straights alike hit city halls and streets across the country to say, “Gay, straight, black, white; marriage is a civil right.” The nationwide event was organized in less than two weeks displaying the strength and the will of Americans to stand up for equality, realizing that when the rights of one are taken, the rights of all are threatened.

Days prior to the nationwide protest, groups including the NAACP, the Asian Pacific American League Center and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund have joined to file a separate suit against Prop 8. This suit is separate from those made be the ACLU and NCLR, and looks to defeat Prop 8 through additional faults of the Prop. These groups worry that the passage of Prop 8 sets dangerous precedent for the civil rights of all minorities. They claim that if the civil rights of gays and lesbians can be stripped by a simple majority vote, what stops this from happening to their civil rights. The California Supreme Court’s ruling in May deemed gays and lesbians a minority of equal status to that of racial, ethnic and religious minorities. With that precedent set, the slippery slope that Prop 8 creates has pushed these groups to stand against it.

Saturday’s rallies reflected a growing united front and with such vast numbers of attendance, including 20-25,000 in San Diego, another 12,000 in Los Angeles and 10,000 in San Francisco, one can only assume that these numbers include people from all walks of life. This doesn’t even include the thousands in Chicago and New York City. Watching news coverage of the events, a straight married women rallied in Austin, Texas for equality. When interviewed she said she has two young children and she doesn’t know whether they will be gay or straight when they get older. She does know that either way she wants the same rights for her children despite their sexual orientation. It is this type of unity that is fueling the movement. For as many people that voted for discrimination in the California Constitution, there are people from all walks of life who understand the issue at hand. When the country discriminates against our friends, our family, coworkers and neighbors, we are all hurt and we are all threatened.

Action is being taken utilizing technology, organizing with cell phones; blasting messages on Facebook. However, the days since Election Day has shown that the most simple tradition of American society still proves to be beneficial. Pounding the streets on foot does more than draw attention to the cause at hand, it builds the coalition more and more. Marching creates the necessary unity to push forward. It is empowering, whilst also a release of tension and frustration at a system gone wrong.

I had faith in the system, in the Constitution and in Californians. That faith was thrown into limbo following Election Day. However, I still maintain faith in the Constitution and Californians. We, as Californians and as Americans, need to maintain faith in the highest law of the land. Watching my fellow Californians and Americans hit the streets in droves, I am proud. No longer willing to be trampled on, people who have never hit the streets before took the battle lines and marched. I am proud of my friends and my family who stood up for equality. They stood up for the Constitution and for each other, supported by the strength of family and friends unable to make the march and rallies.

Yesterday, as I marched through the streets of San Francisco with my fellow Californians, and Americans, I not only felt like I was working towards equality, I felt like we were protectors of the Constitution. With signs in hand, and voices to sound off with, me and those around weren’t just fighting for civil rights, we were and continue to ensure that the core ideals of the Constitution are protected from vicious attacks. When we march for civil rights equality, we aren’t just marching for same-sex marriage, we are valiant guardians defending the precious core of the Constitution.

Sam Adams, considered “Father of the American Revolution” told new Americans citizens:

The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.

As we continue our battle for equality, we must maintain faith in the Constitution and we must protect it from the evil that is Prop H8. We aren’t doing this just for ourselves, we are doing this for the future. Gays, lesbians and our vital straight allies have suffered under the tyranny of conservative fear for far too long. Hit the streets and show them we are no longer willing to submit to their weapons of fear. We’ve had enough! It is now our duty and our time to protect the Constitution from vicious attacks for everyone; for every straight parent with a gay child; for every straight child with a gay parent and for all of our friends who want the same opportunity to share in the same experiences in life.

(All photos and videos provided by the Ryan Thomas Collection.)

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