Tag Archives: March

Over 100 Gay Russian Activist Hoist Rainbow Flags In St. Petersburgh May Day Parade

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Gay Russia mayday

Despite St. Petersburg, Russia’s controversial and draconian “gay propaganda” law and memory of the arrest and detention of 17 gay rights activists last year over 100  gay rights activists held pro-gay banners reading “Repeal the Shameful Homophobic Law! Let’s Stop Hate and Discrimination Together!”

Under St. Petersburg’s “gay propaganda law” the activists risked arrest and could have faced up to $17,000 in fines and arrest for “promoting homosexuality” among minors as a result of their participation in the parade.

But it was not without incident.  The group did have a minor confrontation with authorities who tried to stop them from holding rainbow flags.

Olga Lenkova, gay rights activist with Coming Out, said, “Despite attempts by the police to ban deployment of rainbow flags at the beginning of the march, activists were able to pass along the entire route with rainbow flags and banners with no arrests.” The Russian LGBT network released a statement about the event as well and said, “Last year in the May Day procession, anyone who held up a rainbow flag was arrested just for this. Today, the ’rainbow column’ marched with flags proudly held high and the feeble requests of the police to ’stop propaganda’ were ignored.

May Day event the group faced some confrontations with authorities who tried to stop them from holding rainbow flags.

Igor Kochetkov, director of the Russian LGBT network, addressed the crowd during this year’s May Day parade and said, “Friends, this is indeed a victory. We have not won, but the struggle clearly goes in our favor. Not just for LGBT, but for advocates of freedom and democracy across the Russian Federation. Happy 1st of May!”

This is what true courage in LGBT activism looks like.

Братья храбрости!

 

Veteran Gay Activist Cleve Jones and David Mixner: LGBT’s Should Also Rally At Supreme Court

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Veteran LGBT activists Cleve Jones and David Mixner have released a statement in The Advocate.saying that the LGBT Community and its allies should also rally and  do actions to counter the National Organization for Marriage which is planning a “march on the Supreme Court” on the day the Justices begin hearing arguments on their two same-sex marriage cases. Sort of…..

We have discussed this with some of the smartest and most dedicated activists we know, and, based on those conversations, we offer the following recommendations for action as the court considers our aspirations for equality. We do not believe it makes sense to attempt a mass march on Washington at this moment, given the short amount of time remaining, the cost, as well as the uncertainty of weather in Washington, D.C., in March. We do believe it makes sense to push hard on many fronts in the weeks and months ahead.

As we are on the verge of victory, our tone and actions are critical.

President Obama himself set the tone for this effort in his inaugural address when he spoke so movingly of Seneca Falls, Selma, and Stonewall, linking forever the struggles for women’s rights, civil rights, and LGBT rights. We encourage all LGBT advocates and all fair-minded Americans who believe in equality and justice to take part in public actions during the last week of March.

– If you can be in Washington, D.C., there will be peaceful and civil demonstrations of support for the cases at the Supreme Court on March 26 and 27. While there, you can also visit your members of Congress to lobby for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and Uniting American Families Act as well as marriage equality. Our opponents will be marching — ignore them.

– For those who cannot travel, there will be local organizing opportunities and plans under way in all 50 states that will mirror the events before the Supreme Court. Stay tuned. Visit your representatives’ local district offices. Hold teach-ins, campus rallies and town halls. Involve our allies in women’s organizations, the labor movement, racial and ethnic minorities and immigrant communities.”

But already there are some in the LGBT Community poo-pooing the idea. Saying that it should be left to our LGBT organizations like the HRC,, Lambda Legal, and the NGLTF.    These are the lazy, the jaded, the and the sacred who believe that the money they give to gay orgs should be enough and they should do the job for them .

All one needs to do is to look to history.  The Women’s Suffrage movement, The Black Civil Rights movement.  Where would they be without actions, protests and marches?

As the great Harvey Milk once said: “Politics is theater. It doesn’t matter if you win. You make a statement. You say, “I’m here, pay attention to me” 

Make a statement.  Our equality depends on it.

Sources Estimate As High As 400,000 People March In Paris FOR Same-Sex Marriage – Video Report

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Paris same sex marriage march

A crowd estimated by some sources to be that of at least 400,000 rallied and marched today in Paris for same-sex marriage and to counter the protest of two weeks ago of a smaller anti-gay crowd who supported and led by the Catholic Church marched against gay marriage.

Demonstrators waved banners emblazoned with phrases like “Equality of rights is not a threat” and chanted: “What do you want? Equality! When do you want it? Now!” Another placard showed a version of the French government’s seal, but with two Mariannes kissing, and under the words, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,” was the slogan “No more, no less!” (snip)

“During his campaign, the Socialist François Hollande, now president, promised to legalize gay marriage within a year of taking office in May. And with effective majorities in both houses of Parliament, Mr. Hollande and his government should be able to beat back various efforts by opponents to kill or amend the bill, and some suggest that even given the long legislative process, it may become law in May or June.

The major chant was of the day of the march was a time-honored classic as true today as when it was first shouted far too long ago:  “Qu’est-ce que vous voulez? Egalité. Vous la voulez quand? Maintenant.”

What do you want? Equality! When do we want it? Now!

********************

AMERICA LEASE TAKE NOTE: This is a MAJOR part of gaining civil rights not only for the LGBT community but for all.  A part of the strategy we have sorely been lacking and we despertately need to return to.

Video Report courtesy of AussieNews1

NOM Plans D.C. Anti-Gay Marriage March & Rally On Day Of Supreme Court Prop 8 Arguments

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NOM March

Well it was inevitable I suppose.

The anti-gay National Organization for Marriage  has announced that it will be holding a anti-gay marriage march and rally on March 26th is the day that the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on Proposition 8.  DOMA will be heard the next day.

When the Supreme Court convenes to hear oral arguments in what could be the Roe v. Wade of marriage, we’ll be there — and we hope you’ll be there with us! We are working hard to finalize all of the plans for this exciting event, and will let you know very soon all the details of the schedule. Again, we’re honored by your support and hope that you can show up in person to stand with us on March 26th for what we pray will be an unprecedented outpouring of support for society’s most fundamental and sacred institution: marriage between a man and a woman. Together, we’ll stand before the Supreme Court and make sure our voices are heard that we will not allow the dismantling of marriage by Judicial fiat to happen on our watch! Thank you for your willingness to stand with us. —-   Gratefully, Brian S Brown.

It’s quite telling the way NOM uses the Roe v. Wade reference. They cite it as if the Prop 8 ruling is a potential disaster — since someone who sees Roe as a positive development wouldn’t get the thrust of their message so they get more support from the right and this is a dangerous thing, especially with the virtual stalemate when it comes to SCOTUS which we can not always trust to follow the letter of the law.

Remember when NOM held its anti-gay marriage rally in New York City they bused in tens of thousands of attendees from the tri-state area and you can be sure that Tony Perkin’s Family research Center, the American Family Association and The Liberty Counsel will be crawling out of the woodwork soon to help and join in with NOM

Public appearance and pressure has always made a difference.  WE NEED to have our own rally and march that day countering them.

So now the REAL QUESTION is will the Human Rights Campaign, Freedom to Marry, and other LGBT Organizations step-up to the plate and plan our own March and Rally for that fateful day?

So far nothing is planned but they better start.   This battle is theirs to lose for all of us.

 

Jackson, Mississippi Police Stop LGBT March For Equality Before It Begins. How Very 1961

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LGBT Jackson, Mississippi residents were turned away as they gathered to rally and march yesterday morning despite having applied for a permit to highlight LGBT discrimination. 

Organizers of the march were informed shortly before the event that their permit had been denied and they had no right to rally in the city.

Bob Gilchrist, who had organized the event on Facebook, expected a large turnout for the march and rally and at the last minute the permit was denied even though event organizers were finalizing details to secure required liability insurance. When informed by police that the permit had been denied, those assembled were threatened with arrest if they were to proceed.

Robin McGehee, GetEQUAL’s executive director and a Jackson, Mississippi native stated:

As a Mississippian forced to flee my home state to seek equality elsewhere, this decision by the Jackson police is reprehensible. Despite Mississippi’s long history of racial, gender, and economic discrimination, the state continues to use deceptive tactics like insurance requirements to prevent people from simply walking down the street as openly gay. You would think that Mississippi would have learned its lesson and would try to shake off the chains of its discriminatory past, but this action by Jackson police will simply cement the state’s reputation as the leader of bigotry and discrimination.”

McGee has a point tht history bears out.  On May 24, 1961, during the African-American Civil Rights Movement, more than 300 Freedom Riders were arrested in Jackson for disturbing the peace after they disembarked from their bus. They were riding the bus to demonstrate against segregation on public transportation.

So how far has Jackson, Mississippi evovled since 1961? 

Obviously not that much.

Source: Addicting Info

Over 700,000 LGBT and Straight Allies March In Brazil For Laws Banning Homophobia

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Over 700,000 LGBT and straight ally Brazilians marched along the famous Copacabana beach promenade in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday not only to celebrate the success this year of a legislative campaign where the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing same-sex couples the same 112 legal rights as married couples.  But  also to call on authorities to enact legislation to outlaw homophobia.

While LGBT Brazillians enjoy many rights they also suffer a shockingly high rate of homophobic, abuse and hate crimes with a  new study tracking homophobic and transphobic violence shows that an LGBT person is murdered every day and a half, a significant increase from three years ago, when it was one murder every three days

Gay rights activist Claudio Nascimento said the community had a simple goal, to “call for peace, not homophobia,” as he urged the national Congress to laws on the books against bring homophobia on a par with racial or religious intolerance