Thoughts on attending the anti-Prop 8 protest in Costa Mesa today

I believe I’d already been clear on the point:

…as I tried to note in my comment on women’s suffrage, we have been down this road before, where something seemingly inconceivable became standard. Legalizing gay marriage improves the general lot by further extending the principle of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ to all — as the complexity of society is more and more recognized, then that means that extension must be further applied to the full.

I believe in the essential truth originally posted here:

“We did not want to go to Massachusetts or Canada or Spain to get married . . . because we wanted to be legal in our home state,” said Jean, who has no worries about the high rate of divorce in the United States.

“Shouldn’t I have the right to get married and screw it up, just like straight people?”

I believe there is something crucial in this statement I made a while back:

..if there is one constant I have noticed among the anti(-gay marraige) campaigners, it’s that the very idea of same-sex love and marriage, that there are in fact people, fellow citizens, involved, doesn’t register with them, that it remains strictly abstract, or rather they aim to keep it as abstract as possible, which I find very telling

I believe that the sight of four corners of a busy intersection full of people from all walks of life, old and young, gay and straight, gathered in protest but never giving into pointless anger, is encouraging beyond words.

I believe the fact that the initial police presence quietly dialed down over time, as the vast majority of passing cars honked in support while the sole moment of protest was a near incoherent shout from one passing vehicle, is not only a striking thing in general but a profoundly deep thing for Orange County in general, given the huge amount of cars passing by at any one time.

I believe that the fact that the organization of everything for this particular protest, not even the only one today in Orange County, started on Facebook by two friends but never kept too controlling, that encouraged people to bring what resources they had (and they did — water, food, signs and more) and to bring their own humor to bear as well, was crucial.

I believe that the fine folks starting up a new 527 action group, Straight Against H8, are the type of folks who have their heads screwed on right, which is why I’d encourage you to go to either this site or this e-mail address:

http://www.myspace.com/straightagainsth8

straightagainsth8@gmail.com

I believe in what I said earlier, as a sign clearly showed today:

And that’s what I believe.

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ADDENDUM — Andrew Sullivan‘s collected photos and thoughts on many protests worldwide today. Along with my own photos, I sent an e-mail, quoting a part of it here:

…the language from Yes on 8 supporters out here, ever since Election Day but even more so now, is not that of the triumphant victor. It’s bewilderment, denial, anger, confusion. The amount of “I’m not a bigot!” statements from people who doth protest too much is telling. One gets a clear sense that they find themselves on the defensive, the initiative ripped from their hands. They’re hunkering down, hiding, finding themselves ostracized — deservedly so. I don’t think they realized how much they’ve done yet by winning the battle to lose the war but they’re sensing it, and are already on the run.

I was downbeat on Election Day despite Obama’s victory due to the passing of 8. Now I think that while it clearly should not have passed, making lemons into lemonade has rarely seemed so evident.

ADDENDUM 2: Tara, one of the coorganizers of this protest, sent out a note to all attendees and encouraged sharing it, so I will do so here:

Hello friends,

I couldn’t let another day pass without wholeheartedly thanking everyone for coming out to South Coast Plaza, and for spreading the word. We had an amazing turnout yesterday – at least 400 at our largest – which meant that there might have been several hundred more if you counted everyone from throughout the day. Chelsea and I were extremely pleased with the location, and hope everyone was pleased as well. I loved to see the diversity of people passing by. And I loved to see that we were still going strong after nightfall!!! I think we hit a big, expansive part of Orange County!

Thank you to everyone who helped bring extra water, ice, food, sunblock, etc. Thank you to everyone who hosted poster-making parties with their friends, and who helped notify the press. Thank you to everyone who took the high road no matter what was being said to them, and who kept our protest safe by being respectful of traffic regulations and the needs of our handicapable peers.

Thank you to everyone who came later in the day, undoubtedly exhausted from other protests. Thank you to everyone who represented O.C.’s huge Hispanic and Asian populations, helping other Hispanics and Asians to see the magnitude of hurt that Prop 8 caused. Thank you for braving the ridiculous heat, wind, congestion, and for the inspiring positivity you brought to this cause. To those who brought their families and children – thank you for challenging peoples’ notions about what “family values” should be. We have family values, too. And yesterday, it felt like WE were family.

Special thanks to Max, Harvey, Joe, Ned, Tamara, and Cindy & Lindy (?). SPECIAL SPECIAL thanks to my little sister who stumbled upon our protest while shopping – and who, in spite of her temptations, did not get into a ghetto smackdown with the religious guy walking around.

Love,

Tara

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