TWENTY MARRIAGE equality activists braved four inches of snow
this past Saturday, December 20, to hold a candlelight vigil in Pioneer
Courthouse Square.
“I was worried at one point that there might be just two or three of
us,” said organizer Lindsey Asher. “So thanks to all of you for coming
out. You are all heroes.”
Asher, an independent activist, also organized the November 15 South
Park Blocks rally against the passage of California’s Proposition 8
measure [“Onward,” News, Nov 20], which was attended by more than 1,000
people. Given the more modest turnout this time around, Asher
encouraged everyone to share a personal story about why they had shown
up despite the bitterly cold weather.
“I’m here because my grandmother had to keep her sexuality a
secret,” said Cynthia Cruse. “And when she died, her partner had no
rights; everything had to be a secret. My grandmother would be proud of
us standing here today.”
Asher said one way she has been engaging people about marriage
equality since the passage of Proposition 8 is by asking them how the
right for same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts since 2004 has
been affecting them, personally.
“As someone who came here from Massachusetts five months ago, I can
say that it was fine,” responded Rob Matera, a call center employee for
a corporate healthcare provider here in Portland. Matera said he has
been taking calls from gay couples in California over the past two
weeks asking to change their marital status for benefits purposes.
“It’s just sad,” he said.
Initially this weekend, there was some concern about whether the
vigil would be able to take place at all. A private security officer
working for Portland Patrol Services, Inc., which has a contract to
patrol Pioneer Courthouse Square, asked Asher to stop the protest
before it started because she had no permit, and because lighting
candles violates the square’s “no open flames policy.”
Asher, who had been in contact with Parks Commissioner Dan
Saltzman’s office about the open flames rule last week, thanked the
guard for his input and proceeded to light her candle regardless. As
the rent-a-cop shuffled off, Asher’s act of defiance had a galvanizing
effect on the crowd.
“I was kind of surprised they let us stay,” said Chris Daniels, who
had dropped by the protest after buying a Nintendo Game Boy at the
mall. “They tend to be pretty authoritarian about this kind of
thing.”
Asher plans more protests over the coming months, snow or shine.
I think this law, Proposition 8 is eventually going to lose. It may not be now but eventually it will be struck down. I saw the film “Milk” recently. I thought it was a great film and I came away with greater respect for Harvey Milk and his efforts to get California’s other anti-gay proposition to get defeated. This is from a straight (not narrow) male.
So dear LGBT friends, have hope!