February 16th, 2009
State Capitol
No on 8 Rally

Reactions to Marriage Equality March and Rally on the Capitol Steps

After going to many Prop 8 rallies, this one truly resonated with me. The rain and cold made the event even more powerful; seeing people from San Jose to San Francisco and beyond while braving the forces of Mother Nature. Yes, Margaret Cho and Wanda Sykes were among the celebrities to give speeches; Wanda's by far was one of the more humorous. Monday's rally still gave me a different outlook at the future of our movement. And when I say our, I mean everyone who is fighting for equality.

Proposition 8 sometimes seems like a decade ago, but rallies like this remind me that the LGBT and straight communities are still fighting and they are fighting hard.

Some people go to Prop 8 rallies because their friends are going or because they want to volunteer. Others go to get really good pictures with celebrities. But in the end, what these rallies and marches really represent is one combined effort by many organizations trying to recruit as many people as possible. Delores Huerta of all people knows why this is so important.

I did not know Delores Huerta would be attending Monday's march and rally, but when I heard the emcee, one of Sacramento's prominent LGBT activist announce Delores Huerta...I knew that the LGBT community finally realized what has been missing for so long: A CALL TO ACTION. For so long, we have been living our lives, voting the progressives into office, volunteering at the local community centers, but never has our entire community been asked to do something so important and of such magnitude. Thanks to Delores and others, the farm workers eventually learned the need to grow in numbers as well as organize and ORGANIZE.

Hearing Delores's call to find at least ten people to educate is what most people don't think to do.

As our movement grows and with the help from celebrities, activists and everyone else, marriage equality will get its day.