Gay Equality Protest Set for Dec. 2
by Tim Marshall Monday, Nov. 29, 2004 at 8:05 PM
tmarshall@lgcsc.org 216.651.5428

LGBT Equality Now Rally/Protest set for Thursday, Dec. 2, 4-5:30pm at Market Square Park. Dec. 2 is the day the Ohio Marriage Amendment is set to take effect.

(CLEVELAND) -- Thursday, December 2 is the day the Ohio Marriage Amendment - the result of the recently passed State Issue 1 -- is scheduled to take effect. Members of the Greater Cleveland lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community will join with heterosexual allies and are gathering to speak out against this institutionalized homophobia and discrimination at a rally/protest on this day from 4-5:30 pm at Market Square Park (corner of West 25th and Lorain, across from the West Side Market).

Speakers include parents of LGBT children, children of LGBT Parents, LGBT families and other families and individuals affected by the amendment.

Following the Rally, the Greater Cleveland community will be asked to show their solidarity in fighting all forms of discrimination by turning on their porch lights from 6-9pm.

This political action is being organized by the Lesbian/Gay Community Center of Greater Cleveland, a principal member of the Equality Coalition, a network of advocacy groups with a shared mission of working toward full equality for all Americans. Upon the passing of Issue 1, the Center and the Coalition released a response on behalf of the LGBT community which included the following excerpt:

“We believe the amendment will not stand.....We also know that most people do not favor discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens. We know that the vast majority of public officials in the state opposed the amendment for all the right reasons. We know that the language of the amendment is dangerously vague and will be difficult at best to apply and enforce. We know that an attempt to legitimize inequality and discrimination will ultimately fail the test of equal treatment and justice for all that is the bedrock of the United States Constitution. And – most of all – we know an amendment encoding discrimination in the Constitution of Ohio is simply wrong.”

The full response can be viewed online at www.lgcsc.org/Issue1response.html.

For more information on the Dec. 2 rally/protest, call (216) 651-5428.

To help promote the event, visit www.outforjustice.org/toolkit.html.

www.lgcsc.org

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