Personal Accounts from Join the Impact

First off, some video footage from the rally in Mississippi — special thanks to ostinsfriend for sharing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiSj1YW_E8Q

A reader of Andrew Sullivan’s The Daily Dish wrote:

I’m not gay. I don’t have gay friends or family. This isn’t about homosexuality. This is about civil rights.

I attended the rally in Portland, ME (no pictures, sorry) with my wife and 4 year old son. A lovely older gay woman in the crowd thanked me for coming, and I thanked her right back. I don’t support gay marriage as a favor to gays, and I’m not owned anything for fighting discrimination. We don’t–we shouldn’t–need to rely on gays, on friends and families of gays, to ensure equal rights for all Americans.

I’ve got no special affinity for the gay community, but I’m an American and a patriot: I’ve got a special affinity for my fellow Americans. I’ll be damned if I acquiesce to such shameful hate and discrimination.

There have been many stories in the media about the protests this weekend, but I’ve found the reports from protesters themselves to be far more intriguing. To that end, click on for links to photos, video, and personal accounts from all over the world.

The main link I want to share is Andrew Sullivan’s excellent roundup at The Daily Dish. From Vancouver to Montana, from Amsterdam to Nashville, he manages to gather a diverse and overall positive collection of stories from his readers. Highly recommended — you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better collection.

I also found some very interesting accounts from the Kos community. A list of diaries is provided below; major credit to jamesia for compiling this list. You can find the original diary here: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/15/173230/15

California

Los Angeles
LA County fear and voting by: jmknapp

Oakland
The Big Prop H8 Protest Pics and Stories Diary (w/ Thanks to Andrew Sullivan) by: sean mykael

Riverside
Being Part of History: Inland Empire Prop 8 Protest by: Killer of Sacred Cows

Sacramento
Sacramento, CA: No on H8 Protest pics/vids/diary by: writelight

SF
‘I May Be a Baptist, but I’m not a Bigot!’ — SF Prop 8 Rally Report by: jpmassar
Crowd chases anti-gay street preachers out of the Castro w/video link by PaulinSF

San Jose
No on H8 – San Jose, CA, Nov. 15 by: elishastephens

Ventura
Over 1,000 in Downtown Ventura Against Prop H8 by: thereisnospoon

D.C.

Photo Diary: Prop 8 March in Washington, D.C. by Cody
Washington DC Prop 8 protest by: Casual Wednesday

Florida

Lake Worth
Prop 8 National Day of Protest Photos in South Florida by: DavidW