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Prop.8 Opponents to Protest at Boston City HallWednesday Nov 12, 2008 Thousands of people plan to descend on City Hall here in Boston on Saturday at 1:30 pm to demonstrate their opposition to Proposition 8 and other anti-gay measures passed during last Tuesday’s election.
This event is part of a nationwide protest movement called Join the Impact which is staging simultaneous civil rights rallies in cities around the country.
Join the Impact is a national grass-roots organization which was created in the days following the election due to frustration and anger over the passage of discriminatory legislation that banned gay marriage in California, Florida and Arizona and prohibited gay
couples from adopting in Arkansas.
"Tuesday night was a bitter-sweet celebration," explains the founder of Join the Impact, Amy Balliett. "We came together to witness the first black man who will become our president, yet watched in sadness as Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, and California all voted down equal rights for all citizens."
Join the Impact called for volunteer organizers across the country to help them mobilize the LGBTQ community and its allies to plan synchronized protests in every state in the United States.
"This is not a four-state issue," states Balliett. "This is an issue of equality across America."
Currently, there are over 150 protests planned in cities across the U.S., including 2 in Massachusetts - Boston and Northampton.
Organizers in Boston are working alongside MassEquality to bring together neighborhood groups, civil rights organizations, church congregations, and college campuses in the Boston area to protest on Saturday.
The group has invited major politicians and LGBTQ activists to speak to the crowd and plans to set-up tables sponsored by gay-rights organizations to
provide further information to protesters looking to continue the fight for equality.
MassEquality Executive Director, Marc Solomon, highlighted the importance of Saturday’s event.
"Tuesday’s results were, I think, a call to action for supporters of marriage equality everywhere - a reminder that even though we’ve come so far here in Massachusetts, there is much work to be done to secure marriage equality for committed same-sex couples everywhere," said Solomon. "MassEquality is dedicated to that work and we urge everyone who is looking to turn their outrage and sadness over Prop 8 into action to join us."
Those interested in attending Saturday’s protest can find out more information by visiting the national webpage for Join the Impact (www.jointheimpact.com). Local organizers have also established a Facebook page for Boston’s event
(http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=37701726407)
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