Today’s nationwide protests were a result of the California Supreme Court upholding Proposition 8. Was that the right decision from a legal standpoint? I have no idea. I’m not a lawyer. But it certainly seemed like a wrong decision from a civil-rights standpoint. I’ve had a lot of people ask me why I, in Washington, was protesting a legal decision in California. I guess I see it less as a Prop 8 rally and more of a civil rights rally — more as a reason to have a civil rights rally. I firmly believe that same-sex marriage is a civil right, and to deny a minority group the right to marry is clear-cut discrimination and a violation of their civil rights in this country.
So I scooped up Leo and headed downtown for the rally, where I met up with my friend Kim. Leo is getting to be an old pro at civil rights rallies. He visits with the crowd and makes friends quickly. The turnout at the Westlake Center, in downtown Seattle, was pretty impressive for a Tuesday-evening rally with minimal notice. We packed the whole plaza, and listened to speakers for an hour or so. A nearby crepe company was handing out flyers for free crepes: “Protest Prop 8, Get a Free Crepe.” Kim and I immediately headed over to the restaurant to get our free crepes. When we returned to the plaza, the group had begun to march. Sigh. I had no idea there was going to be a march. I wasn’t wearing the shoes for it. But of course we decided to join in, even though no one had any idea where we were headed. I’d say we had about 300-400 people marching. There were tons of camera crews and police, and everyone was in a celebratory mood, despite the bad news from California. I’m telling you — gay-rights protests are the best. The tone is always so fun-loving and positive, never bitter or hateful. We chanted and sang and waved at cars on the street, many of whom honked back. Everyone in the cars had their camera phones out, taking pictures of us as we marched by.
Kim and I were cracking up at ourselves — so typically American, marching for gay rights while clutching our cinammon crepes and Diet Cokes with one hand and our protest signs with the other. (And somehow I held onto Leo’s leash, too!) We marched a mile and a half to Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill, where there was yet another rally. Kim and I peaced out around 7:30 because we didn’t want to have to walk back downtown in the dark. So basically I walked three miles in flip-flops today.
I’m home now. I’m beyond exhausted. I feel like that’s my status quo these days: Exhausted. I guess that’s a good thing; for me, it’s much better than being bored. I’m going to try to wrap up my work and get to bed at a decent hour, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Knowing me, I’ll stay up until 3 am playing Lemonade Tycoon on my iPhone. Lord, how I love that game.
