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.

In photos: Join the Impact – San Jose

Flickr photo set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pin/sets/72157609151275104/

In sum: Amazing. We can choose to look back and wonder what might have been if this sort of positive spirit and energy was present prior to the election, but it doesn’t matter now. This was what the movement needed. This was what got myself — a straight male in college — to push my peers to stand up and rally alongside the LGBT community. They might have won a sentence last week, but we ended up winning so much more.

This isn’t just California’s fight, anymore. This is for everyone that supports civil rights, and you all came out in astounding numbers. It might not seem like it now, but we’re that much closer to achieving marriage equality for all. A very special thank you to everyone that took part.

Saturday 11/15: Join the Impact *NATIONWIDE*

Date: Saturday, November 15
Time: 10:30AM Pacific / 11:30AM Mountain / 12:30PM Central / 1:30PM East Coast

Main site: http://www.jointheimpact.com/
Protest locations: Nationwide — see http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=45356108205&ref=mf
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoinTheImpact

This is it, folks. On Saturday, the protests go national. Every state will have at least one protest location.

On the steps of your City Hall on November 15th at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST, our community WILL take to the streets and speak out against Proposition 8 and all of the other pro-equality losses that we have faced in our lifetimes, in our parents’ lifetimes, and for many generations before us. WE CAN’T DO THIS ALONE! WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need organizers in every major city to work with us and get out the protest! I know you’re all tired from all of the work you’ve done for this great election year, but I’m asking for one more push! Let the country hear our voices together. Let them see that we are a strong, adamant, and powerful community that deserves equal rights, and CAN’T BE DEFEATED!

Send this post to everyone! We have one week and must react to the pro-hate votes cast against us! Let’s help our LGBTQ friends, families, neighbors, and each other to IMPACT this country with a demand for our basic human rights! Join the cause, join the voice, and JOIN THE IMPACT!

Click on for Facebook event links to over thirty cities!

Sunday 11/9: No on 8 Protests (NorCal)

From the campaign: http://www.noonprop8.com/events/community-gatherings

San Jose
2 p.m. | Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center
938 The Alameda
Questions? gloria.defrank@gmail.com

Sacramento
Facebook event link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=43238222536
Date: Sunday, November 9, 2008
Time: 1:00pm

The fight has just begun.

Please join thousands of Californians at our state capitol to fight for the rights that are ours! Join in what could be the largest civil rights movement of our time. You don’t want to miss this historic event!

**TRANSPORTATION**
Organizers are planning on arranging a caravan from Emeryville in the morning. I will update as soon as I hear back from them.

SPREAD THE WORD!