Houston Comes Out Loud and Strong

The Lone Star State's largest and most vibrant LGBT community showed up almost 1,000 strong Saturday  amid the glass-and-steel towers of downtown Houston to protest California voters' unfortunate decision to deprive their fellow gay and lesbian citizens' of the right to marry. The protesters' sense of solidarity with their California brethren, as well as gays and lesbians in Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas where equally hateful antigay amendments were passed, was palpable as speakers vowed to continue the fight for equality. Photos provided by Josh Verde.

Comments

[Mike in Houston]

Some videos from the Houston rally posted on YouTube and http://50statestrategy.blogspot.com

[AniMEL]

If we keep accusing everyone who votes for these measures of hate and bigotry, we're not going to get anywhere with them. Ignorance is all that's required to vote for these things, and I'm sorry, but ignorance is not hate. Sit down and talk to them, you might be fairly surprised at how far you get. Stop accusing them of hatred; it's unfair and it sets us back.

[Roger Walcker]

My name is Roger Walcker and I live in Downtown Portland, Oregon. We had a same-sex rally in the Portland State University park blocks. There were hundreds of people demonstrating with chants of "Hey Hey Ho Ho Homopobia got to go." I have been HIV+ since July 2006, and was sitting a bench to rest, when our Maror Tom Potter stood on the bench with a bullhorn in his hand and said: "I am pissed because my lesbian daughter will NOT be able to marry partner. This is unacceptable and must be changed." Then two gay guys came to the bench with their marriage license on a poster. He said " We were married in Riverside county three weeks ago, and If our marriage is revoked, we will be heartbroken." Then Sam Adams, our gay Mayor-elect, spoke passionately and eloquently about GLBT and HIV / AIDS. Huge,thunderous applause. My PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) drove 80 miles from The Dalles to rally with us. I got to know Linda and Brian Stahl when I was recuperating from being life-flighted from Binghamton New York to Portland and then home to The Dalles. I weighed 95 pounds. I had lost 75 pounds and prayed to God to grant me a miracle, and He did. With 22 pills a day, after three weeks things had changed, I felt healthy and stronger. Then I met Linda and Brian. They said: "We have 2 sons. Our youngest, Taylor, live in New York City. Our eldest, Nathaniel is gay and lives in the Castro district of San Francisco, We think of you as our 3rd son." So when I moved to Portland from The Dalles, they presented me with a gay pride umbrella. Linda said: "It is huge enough for you to have a cute guy under each arm." So my PFLAG parents drove the 80 miles to rally about same sex marriage. They and those who rallied that Saturday in Portland are the wave of the future, God willing.

[Roger Walcker]

My name is Roger Walcker and I live in Downtown Portland, Oregon. We had a same-sex rally in the Portland State University park blocks. There were hundreds of people demonstrating with chants of "Hey Hey Ho Ho Homopobia got to go." I have been HIV+ since July 2006, and was sitting a bench to rest, when our Maror Tom Potter stood on the bench with a bullhorn in his hand and said: "I am pissed because my lesbian daughter will NOT be able to marry partner. This is unacceptable and must be changed." Then two gay guys came to the bench with their marriage license on a poster. He said " We were married in Riverside county three weeks ago, and If our marriage is revoked, we will be heartbroken." Then Sam Adams, our gay Mayor-elect, spoke passionately and eloquently about GLBT and HIV / AIDS. Huge,thunderous applause. My PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) drove 80 miles from The Dalles to rally with us. I got to know Linda and Brian Stahl when I was recuperating from being life-flighted from Binghamton New York to Portland and then home to The Dalles. I weighed 95 pounds. I had lost 75 pounds and prayed to God to grant me a miracle, and He did. With 22 pills a day, after three weeks things had changed, I felt healthy and stronger. Then I met Linda and Brian. They said: "We have 2 sons. Our youngest, Taylor, live in New York City. Our eldest, Nathaniel is gay and lives in the Castro district of San Francisco, We think of you as our 3rd son." So when I moved to Portland from The Dalles, they presented me with a gay pride umbrella. Linda said: "It is huge enough for you to have a cute guy under each arm." So my PFLAG parents drove the 80 miles to rally about same sex marriage. They and those who rallied that Saturday in Portland are the wave of the future, God willing.

[Carol]

Roger thanks for telling your story. We have close friends who are gay and married this past August in CA, one couple have been together 14 yrs. and one 16 yrs.. We, like your parents are members of PFLAG. I believe you will receive your rightful place and will get full equality very soon. Americans should not stand for anything less! Our love and prayers for a long future.

[Pierre]

The Holidays are coming quickly now. So, I am sending you this invitation to join in the White Christmas campaign. It is simply a message to the Catholic Church to stop using underhanded techniques to manipulate their member’s political views, and to respect members for who they are and not how they want them to be. (see at www.whitechristmascampaign.citymax.com)

In late June 2008, Catholic parishes around the country announced a new campaign. Its call: to “educate Catholics in politics”! This campaign started immediately, and it was very successful as evidenced by the organization of the campaign to pass of Prop 8, a discrimination amendment to the California constitution which banned marriages between two individuals of the same sex. The Catholic Church, with the Mormon Church, spent over $40M to pass California Prop. 8.

In mass, we were literally asked to pray that marriage be allowed for only a man and a woman. And at a Catholic school by Mountain View, signs advocating Yes on 8 were placed in the school yards for kids and parents to see as kids were picked up.

Is this what church is about?!

This is why you need to know about the White Christmas campaign. This Christmas, the lay members can s end the Catholic Church a clear message to stop using church donation money to support political agendas by holding back their your Christmas donation. This is how the plan would work:
-1- Withhold your Christmas donation and instead, place in the collection basket an empty white envelope with the words “White Christmas” on it.
-2- Insert a brief note in the envelope on your reason for this White Christmas zero offering. For example: The Catholic Church needs not to divide but unite, please stay out of defining marriage, or No to politics in the Church.
That’s it.

This year, please redirect your normal Christmas donation to other non-profit organizations, groups like Doctors-Without-Borders, your local Food Bank, youth education groups, etc. (see listing at http://www.whitechristmascampaign.citymax.com/redirect_donation.html). Many charities need your help especially during these hard economic times. They will truly appreciate your gifts for improving this world with your White Christmas contribution.

Please visit www.whitechristmascampaign.citymax.com and love your church enough to fight for it and reclaim it this Christmas for you and for everyone.

Blessings,
Pierre

NOTES:
- If you haven’t been in church for a while, you can still participate by going to your closest parish on Christmas day to pray for a new start in your Church, and then placing a note in your White Christmas envelope with the reason you haven’t been attending.
- If you receive direct mail fundraising from the Catholic church, respond with check for $0.00 and a brief explanation for participating in White Christmas.