Today is apparently the national Day Without a Gay, a pro-gay protest organized mostly via Facebook (where it’s called “Day Without a GAY!!”) in response to Prop 8. GLTBQIAWTFOMG people are encouraged to “call in gay” – boycotting work and instead spending the day volunteering in their community. The Facebook page estimates that “close to a million people will mysteriously catch the ‘lavender flu’ on Wednesday” but around Portland I haven’t seen any evidence of the boycott besides free coffee at Black Sheep Bakery.

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Which, of course, some anonymous Mercury homos cashed in on with super gay gusto.

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Across the country, some people are participating, but overall, it looks like the event is not having the same impact as the event it’s modeled on – the massive, exciting Day Without Immigrants marches of 2006. Is any Facebook-organized protest bound to be small? Or are people just not fiery enough to skip work after the big anti-prop 8 marches a few weeks ago?

Sarah Shay Mirk reported on transportation, sex and gender issues, and politics at the Mercury from 2008-2013. They have gone on to make many things, including countless comics and several books.

7 replies on “Your Day: Now with Less Gay.”

  2. I had a feeling it wasn’t going well. I figured the earthquake air sirens would go off in my neighborhood if all the gays decided not to go to work.

    Actually, now that I think about it…it would have been mayhem. All the gays would pour into the bars on their day off and NO ONE WOULD BE THERE TO SERVE THEM.

    You do not want to see a mob of angry sober gay men at one in the afternoon. Trust.

  3. I can’t wait until tomorrow… its the “Day WITH a Gay!” Hmmm… who will be my gay for the day?

    And don’t forget the day after that… its official “ALL GAY FRIDAY!” (Also known as the “Day without a Heterosexual”)

  7. I think it’s a lot harder to try to runw tih something like this when you’re dealing with a recession and high levels of unemployment. I mean, I have no desire to lose my job because I was protesting. If I have no job, I can’t continue to be an activist, because I can’t continue to eat or pay rent and those are very important things to me.

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