Hundreds protest gay marriage ban in bay area

TAMPA — About 300 people gathered at Joe Chillura Park for an impromptu gathering that evolved into a full-blown rally with catchy signs, chanting and speeches from local leaders.

"We're here to make sure that promises are kept," said R. Zeke Fread of PRIDE Tampa Bay. "They said it wouldn't affect existing domestic partnerships, including those of the elderly."

Tampa City Council member Linda Saul-Sena, GaYbor District Coalition president Carrie West and Hillsborough County Democratic Party vice chairwoman Pat Kemp were among the speakers addressing the crowd.

"It was really inspiring to hear from someone who has been married to their partner," said Liz Brown, 39, a social worker who hung around waving signs at motorists with friends after the event. "This is our chance to be more active instead of just observers."

As a child, Yasmin Jones was raised on stories of the civil rights movement and the racist legal structure that preceded it, when segregation was legal and many states outlawed interracial marriage.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed her family's life, she told a St. Petersburg crowd of more than 200 gay activists and supporters Saturday, but as a black lesbian, she still doesn't have the same rights as most Americans.

"They say we seek to redefine marriage, but I think they are redefining discrimination," Jones, 19, told the cheering crowd at Mirror Lake. "I don't know about you, but I am not going to let them cut and paste the word black for gay."

Waving American flags and signs that read "we the people means all of us" and "love is a civil right," supporters in St. Petersburg aimed to cast marriage inequality as the new civil rights movements as part of a nationwide protest Saturday against same-sex marriage bans.

Crowds gathered near public buildings in small communities and major cities including New York, San Francisco and Chicago to vent their frustrations, celebrate gay relationships and renew calls for change.

Planning for the nationwide protests was started by a Seattle blogger just days after a California vote that took away gay marriage rights that had been granted by the state's high court. Florida and Arizona overwhelmingly passed similar measures on Election Day.

In St. Petersburg, a mosaic of young, old, black, white, straight and gay chanted "we want equality" and "undo 2," a reference to the Florida constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

"Our fight for marriage equality is not about shutting down other people's religious beliefs," said activist Karen Doering. "Our families deserve the same rights, the same protections as every other family. If that's not a civil rights issue, then what the hell is?"

Dawn Willey and Donna Cochran were married in California in September, when it was still legal. Now, the St. Petersburg couple aren't sure they will even be sent their marriage certificate.

"My whole life I always thought what's the big deal? It's just a piece of paper," said Cochran of legal marriage. "But it felt different. It was moving. It was incredible, and our children were so happy for us."

Democrat George Gonzalez, a failed candidate for House District 54, lamented what he described as the religious right's invasion of government.

"This goes to the core of separating church and state, make no mistake about it," said Gonzalez, a heterosexual. "You cannot take away people's constitutional rights simply by having a vote."

Comments on this article

by Eunice	Nov 19, 2008 3:57 PM
If churches want to "marry" only straight people, fine. But there must then be a legal provision at ALL levels of government allowing "civil unions" for EVERYONE, which will grant the same CIVIL rights to all (tax benefits, health insurance, etc.).

by morgana	Nov 18, 2008 2:00 PM
GOD is dead.. Time Magazine said so in the 1960s... so do what you like.. it's alright. Don't forget.. it wasn't all that long ago that is was illegal for people of different races to marry. Why is this different?

by Barnaby	Nov 18, 2008 1:25 PM
I will never understand why gays shouldn't get married. And don't tell me "Bible", that's using the Bible for hate and that's messed up!

by Paul	Nov 18, 2008 1:25 PM
This is exactly why I'm an atheist. I think you're all nuts for your self-serving reasons to exclude a group of people and say all these hateful things about gays. I say we start a 'tax the churches' effort. They need to pay up, about time.

by Steve	Nov 18, 2008 1:25 PM
I agree w/the homophobes who say leave Florida. It's not sunshine that makes a place nice to live. It's your neighbors and ours have shown themselves to be nothing more than frothing at the mouth bigots. Enjoy your declining Florida as we all leave.

by seth	Nov 18, 2008 1:25 PM
You all are so bent on protecting your precious "marriages" when everyday straight couples cheat and get divorces. Were's the sanctity you're trying to protect? Being gay is not a choice. You can't help who you fall in love with.

by Mona	Nov 18, 2008 1:25 PM
Hypocrits!

by RAH	Nov 18, 2008 1:25 PM
Constitutional Rights were established in the 1787 amended by a vote of Congress amended by a vote of States and as time passes interpreted by the courts and again by the vote. Separation of Church and state is not an issue the results are a measure of personal beliefs i.e.: suffrage, abortion, voting age all same church different pew as for as personal beliefs

by Gary	Nov 18, 2008 1:24 PM
Verbalize as much venom and misinformation as you can now. Prop 8 in California and Amendment 2 in this state will be declared unconstitutional. This ugly vote has awakened the sleeping giant ya'll will wish went away. But we will not.

by Jack	Nov 18, 2008 1:24 PM
Religious hate mongers who object to gay marriage are the new David Dukes of the 21st century. Are new KKK memberships next for these clowns?

by Ken	Nov 18, 2008 1:24 PM
Wake up and smell the coffee - the voters rejected your "lifestyle". If you want to be left alone, fine, but then get out of our faces. You are hurting your own cause.

by WeWillOvercome	Nov 18, 2008 1:23 PM
Sooner or later change is going to come from the Supreme Court. After all, it wasn't the goodness of American voters that got civil rights going for Blacks. It was so-called "activist judges".

by Annette	Nov 18, 2008 1:23 PM
Yes, God is Love and also God always wins, so people, deal with it.This society needs to stop pushing God away, He will be the final judge in our live, Homosexuality is a detestable sin to God,so is Hate, so stop being so nasty to each other.

by sick of christian arguments	Nov 17, 2008 5:16 PM
I'm so tired of hearing the religious arguments about a legal, civil union: marriage. bla bla bla...I support the rights of Gay people. I support your right to worship as you please. Just don't confuse the law and religion.

by Steve	Nov 17, 2008 4:23 PM
Baffled should be called stupid. Sodomoy is NOT illegal (you probably practice it yourself & don't even realize it) A goat can't give consent to marry. 3 Bestiality is legal in more states than Gay Marriage. How do you think that sits with God?

by seth	Nov 17, 2008 4:19 PM
You all are so bent on protecting your precious "marriages" when everyday straight couples cheat and get divorces. Were's the sanctity you're trying to protect? Being gay is not a choice. You can't help who you fall in love with.

by James	Nov 17, 2008 4:17 PM
The PEOPLE VOTED already. They are protesting DEMOCRACY! It amazes me that people want to change "marriage". Don't take from the straights what has been defined since the beginning of time. next thing, I can marry my dog because I love her so much.

by John	Nov 17, 2008 4:15 PM
Hey Joe, you have a sister I can marry.

by James	Nov 17, 2008 4:11 PM
How can churches be guilty of spreading "hate" against homos. The bible is clear AGAINST homosexuality. The Lord will FORGIVE the sin of homosexuality -- just like any other sin (adultery, murder, greed, etc). God is Love but he hates sin.

by Julie	Nov 17, 2008 4:11 PM
Gay marriage is simply wrong just as murder is wrong. Maybe one is worse then the other, but that is like saying shop lifting is OK, because it is not as bad as murder. If it is wrong it is wrong. Shop lifters would love it not to be, as Gays do to.

by Sara	Nov 17, 2008 4:11 PM
I believe in free speech as we all should, but some of these comments are so sad. To "God Hate You": God doesn't hate anyone. Read your Bible fool! What you mean is you hate them. Very Christian of you. Gad is about peace and love, not hate.

by Sara	Nov 17, 2008 4:10 PM
To the people that refer to marrying an animal is like marrying someone of the same sex, are you freaking kidding? Why does it go from same sex marriage to marrying a goat? How is that the same? We're talking human to human here, not human to dog.

by Patrick	Nov 17, 2008 4:08 PM
Gays choose a lifestyle just like everyone else. NO ONE is awarded rights for their chosen lifestyle, sexual or otherwise. No rights are taken away. We have laws and taxes that some say are unfair, but they apply to EVERYONE! Please stop whining on 2

by leroy	Nov 17, 2008 3:57 PM
gays better looking? come visit where I work. the lesbians here look like male truck drivers. all fat, greasy,pierced,sloppily dressed and heavily tatooed. YIKES!

by Bumpkin	Nov 17, 2008 2:20 PM
Civil rights issue? Are you kidding? This is just another gay agenda tactic - always blaming someone else because they don't get their way. Live your lives and stop the complaining. This is not discrimination so stop making up all this stuff!

by Bill	Nov 17, 2008 2:12 PM
Simple idea 2 gay men and women get together married each other then swap! Everyone gets benifits from each other and you all live happy

by Squee	Nov 16, 2008 11:59 PM
"[T]o simplify the problem of [these] marriages possibilities must be considered with the goal of the legislator saying something like: 'These marriages have been dissolved.'"--Wannsee Conference

by Lenny	Nov 16, 2008 11:55 PM
hundreds protested but hundreds of thousands both democrats and republicans voted for Amendment 2. Next thing you know, people will want to marry their dog.

by mark	Nov 16, 2008 11:53 PM
I voted no on 2 but the people have spoken. Civil unions still exist for homosexuals. Prop 8 was voted down TWICE in CA. Stop already.

by Sola Scriptura	Nov 16, 2008 11:52 PM
To Mike: Christians weren't the only group supporting this amendment?why don?t you include the Mormons, Jewish people, Non-Religious conservative groups, including blacks(large%) that also supported the amendment? awfully bigoted of you, huh?

by Sola Scriptura	Nov 16, 2008 11:51 PM
To Fozzy: what bigots are you referring to?.the ones posting hateful comments about religious folk. If you want tolerance?then that means you must tolerate those you perceive as ?intolerant??if not you are a hypocrite.

by Sola Scriptura	Nov 16, 2008 11:51 PM
To Allan: Modern Science HAS NOT provided proof that homosexuals are hardwired a certain way...so then polygamists, adulterers, rapists, child molesters, should not be judged if science proves they are hardwired that way?

by Jay	Nov 16, 2008 11:50 PM
Might be a good idea to take this gay agenda stuff to Iran where they honor democratic elections and are so tolerant of changing what their societal norms have been for thousands of years. Gays only seem to like democracy when it suits them. See ya.

by tom	Nov 16, 2008 11:49 PM
Situation Ethics is taking control and eliminating any sense of absolutes. Our foundations built on rock are being replaced by shifting sand. One morning soon we will awaken to variable laws and rules and God will say "Enough" of our arrogance.

by Joe	Nov 16, 2008 11:48 PM
Gay people can marry, as long as they marry someone of the opposite sex. They are not being denied any rights that the non gay population has. The argument that they are being denied their civil rights is false.