Whiskey Mambo

Sara and I went to the Light Up The Night event organized by Marriage Equality and Join The Impact at Love Park in Philadelphia today. While the turnout was small due t0 the holiday season and freezing cold weather, the mood was good for the 35 or so demonstrators. A reporter from WHYY was capturing opinions, singing, and interviewing people including us. He seemed surprised that Sara and I were straight, still he reminded me that we’ve been fighting for equal rights for the GLBT community for years. For me, it’s been 18 years, and I have to admit that while things have improved, there’s a long way to go.

Hope you read Frank Rich piece in the NY Times today. Halberstam spoke at my undergraduate graduation from Drew University in 1994, shortly after celebrating the 20th-anniversary of the publishing of his “The Best and the Brightest”. (Gary Trudeau satirized him in Doonesbury as “a writer of mighty tomes”.) I wonder what he’d have thought about President-Elect Obama’s appointments. But given his passing last year and my memory of his perspective, I think he’d mostly approve. -SA

Sara and I decided to join the Prop 8 Protest Rally at Philadelphia’s City Hall today. What a blast! There’s nothing like stopping traffic with a few thousand like-minded activists chanting, hollering, and generally feeling the love. When we first showed up around 1 PM, the crowd was only a few hundred; however, when we left the radio said that the protest was getting bigger by the hour. One of the organizers said that over 5,000 people were there! [Edited: I had thought Brandi said 12,600 people were there, but what she actually said was that 12,600 people had seen the Facebook page. See her comment below for details]. Whatever the count, it felt great to support our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in their fight for equality.

Here some pics! That’s Sara getting interviewed by KYW News! People loved our signs and I expect lots of great photos in the news and online as all the major TV stations and several bloggers covered the event. Oh, a shoutout to Vangie from Dyke Drama who took a second to say hello and introduce herself; she loved our signs. Check ‘em out! (Full disclosure: We got the ideas from earlier protests.)

The spontaneous march around City Hall was my favorite part, and the police were awesome in keeping everyone safe. We expected Pro-Prop 8 demonstrators, but none materialized. The only sour note was a single downturned thumb by a lone driver. Most drivers honked in solidarity! Frankly, Philadelphia is amazing, and I’m proud of my city taking part in this nationwide event and the way that we supported human rights in California and throughout the US today!

To learn more, check out the Facebook Group, the Join The Impact website, and the Courage Campaign website.