Local direct action group calling LGBTs and allies around the country to hold events calling on court to overturn amendment
 |
| Blake Wilkinson |
Queer Liberaction, the Dallas LGBT direct action group founded in the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 in California last November, is calling for rallies to be held across the country on Saturday, March 7 to demand that the California State Supreme Court invalidate the voter-approved amendment banning same-sex marriage there.
The California court issued a ruling last May declaring the state law banning same-sex marriage to be a violation of the state’s constitution. Voters, however, approved a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages on Nov. 4, sparking outrage and protests across the country.
Opponents of the amendment, known as Proposition 8, quickly filed suit claiming that the amendment created a significant change in the constitution and therefore could not be approved just by a popular vote. The Supreme Court agreed to put the lawsuit on the fast track, and will hear oral arguments in the case on Thursday, March 5. The court is required to issue its ruling in the case within 90 days of the hearing.
Queer Liberaction wants gay rights advocates around the country to stage simultaneous protests at 2 p.m., C.S.T., on Saturday, to once again focus national attention on the issue.
The Dallas event will take place on The Grassy Knoll in Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas.
Organizers said they hope turnout for the rallies will equal the numbers of people who participated in anti-Prop 8 rallies held simultaneously around the country on Nov. 15, organized largely online by the group Join The Impact.
"We need to have a rally equal to or exceeding the national rallies on Nov. 15 to show them that we are still watching, that we are still angry and that we are still fighting," said QL organizer Elizabeth Pax.
Blake Wilkinson, one of the group’s founders, added, "Marriage is a fundamental aspect of our fight to end our oppression and gain our equality. It has rarely been so important to take to the streets and fight as it is now. A united LGBT community across the country will send a clear message to the California Supreme Court that we demand that this hateful ballot measure has no place in a civil society."
Anyone interested in helping organize a rally in their city can contact QL by e-mail at lgbtliberaction@gmail.com. The Dallas organization is is encouraging everyone to check the Web site at www.queerliberaction.org to find out if there is already a demonstration set for their city or for more information.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition February 27, 2009.
