Several thousand gay & straight citizens of California descended upon Sacramento today to peacefully exercise their 1st Amendment rights.
Clever signs galore, details, & more pix below the jump.
The vibe was incredibly positive considering the fact that this rally was about a failed campaign. These believers in basic freedoms refuse to be denied!
Puppy Love (Even dogs know better than to discriminate)
This baby needed to vote more than once
The signs were clever & artistic.
Mark Leno, recently elected state Senator, gave a rousing speech just before the march.
Christine Chavez, granddaughter of Cesar Chavez, was the final speaker who got us fired up with chants of "VIVA!" and "Si Se Puede!"
The march wrapped around the entire Capitol mall, a stretch 1.2 miles long.
Hot straight chicks against Prop 8 (Yes, she's my girlfriend)
This tranny in a wedding gown garnered a wide berth.
To sum up, the people of California will come to their senses once the truth about the shameful lies the Yes campaign told comes to light. The woman who successfully argued in front of the CA Supreme Court last time spoke and sounded confident we will win in court again.
And a few more pix
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Update 2: Another vid, just for kicks. And just a few more photos
Assemblymember Mariko Yamada, who spoke eloquently at the rally, & her husband, Jan Lee.
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Update 3: Thanks for the Rec's. See also this diary by Higher Pie who went to a protest at the Oakland Mormon temple today.
This is what democracy looks like!
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Update 4:
This just posted by the SF Chronicle. They lowball the Sacto event by saying "a couple thousand" attended. I wonder if they also say "a couple thousand" showed up to see the Giants play at Pac Bell park today.
The gathering follows several similar events around the Bay Area and California. Earlier today, more than 400 people gathered outside the distinctive Mormon Temple in Oakland to protest the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' support of Proposition 8.
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The rallies have been generally peaceful, with crowd members waving U.S. and rainbow flags and carrying signs. In Sacramento this afternoon, a few protesters said they were hopeful the courts would strike down the voter-approved ban while others said they would push for another statewide initiative.
The Sac Bee also lowballsthe number saying "about 3000". But for anyone demonstrated at such rallies elsewhere, you know such tactics by the Trad Med are par for the course.
One rally volunteer said there was more passion from proponents of same-sex marriage than she had seen in the final days of the election. "They are a lot more pepped up right now," Jovannah Radtke, of Sacramento, was serving on the security force at the rally. "There is a lot more enthusiasm and passion," she said.