Tuesday May 26: Million Gay Riot Planned if Cal Supreme Court Upholds Prop 8

Will we see a million gay riot next week? The California Supreme Court has announced that the decision on Proposition 8, upholding marriage as between and man and a woman, will be released Tuesday May 26th at 10 am. Gay activists have plans for "civil disobedience" protests against the ruling if it does not overturn Prop 8. (Overturning Prop 8 but validating the existing same sex marriages would not be enough to avoid the protests.)

In Los Angeles, the local gay press is begging those planning to protest to spare West Hollywood (WeHo). In an op-ed titled "Don’t Trash WeHo When Protesting Prop 8" the author writes:

Unfortunately, there have been rumblings that otherwise responsible, level-headed folk are gearing up to throw bricks.

Equality California (EQCA) sent an E mail yesterday that began, “The decision we have been waiting for is coming any day now. While we hope for the best, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to win marriage back (emphasis added),”

However, same news website also has an article linking to the Day of Decision website which is organizing:

“Day of Decision” actions that will either:

1. Celebrate a positive decision and attempt to spread its impact, or
2. If the court rules against us, make sure that our angry voices are heard around the world. Anger for denying an entire group of people their civil rights is perfectly legitimate and appropriate.(my emphasis added)

The Day of Decision website page for the plans for San Francisco has a link to One Struggle One Fight, the group that has been using the Prop 8 backlash to foment "civil disobedience".

(One Struggle, One Fight is a recipient of a grant from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. I've decided to add a label "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence" and connect my various posts that reference them.)

Episcopal Community Services to be Beneficiary of the Folsom Street Fair

The official poster for this coming September's Folsom Street Fair has been released by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Folsom Street Events. The theme seems to be mocking traditional marriage and family life, I suppose in response to the passage of Prop 8.


If you click on the image you get a large version. You can see at the bottom that one of the beneficiaries of the event is Episcopal Community Services. The money will go to the local branch, which does good work. But I am disappointed to think that the Episcopal Church would be in any way affiliated with this event. Clearly by doing so, the Episcopal name goes on the official poster, which is making a mockery of traditional marriage.

The Folsom Street Fair is one of the few occasions when sadomasochistic activities are encouraged and performed in public and people publicly engage in sexual behavior. Here is the link to the ZombieTime photo essay of the 2007 Folsom Street Fair. You may remember that the 2007 Folsom Street Fair Poster was infamous for its mockery of the The Last Supper:


(Again, you can click to see a larger version, and the beneficiaries are listed on the bottom. As far as I can tell, Episcopal Community Services was not listed on this 2007 poster.)

Every year, our old friends, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence serve to guard the gates of the Folsom Street Fair. (Hmmm, I see Episcopal Community Services of SF is listed among those who have received a grant from "the sisters".)

So, why would Episcopal Community Services allow their brand to be associated with the Folsom Street Fair? Notice that the beneficiary organizations had to submit grant applications to become beneficiaries, so it took deliberate effort to become a beneficiary.

You don't suppose this is part of the new I Am Episcopalian marketing strategy, do you?

UPDATE: In response to a comment/question from Andy, I found that the San Francisco Hotel Tax is used to provide a $22,000 grant to support this event. You can see on the list on the link that the tax is also used to fund the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade to the tune of $77,200.

Training for Anti-Prop 8 "Civil Disobedience Action" March to Sacramento

I see that the same group who organized two "civil disobedience actions" in San Francisco last November, the blockade of Market Street on November 7, 2008 and the blockade of the freeway off ramp at Market and Octavia on November 15th, is now planning a "March to Sacramento" to begin this coming Wednesday March 25th. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are funding the action, perhaps from their most recent grant cycle.

No one from the group was arrested for the blockade of Market Street. However, 15 were arrested for the blockade of the freeway off ramp a week later. I think that the local chapter of the Lawyers Guild got them out of any penalties, though.

I am wondering what sort of "civil disobedience actions" are planned for the March to Sacramento. One of my spies has provided me with a more detailed plan than was posted on the website.

They had a "training" this Saturday and have another "training" planned for Monday and a press conference on Tuesday.

The kick-off rally is on Wednesday at Berkeley City Hall. They will be marching to Walnut Creek and staying at the Unitarian Universalist Church for Wednesday night.

Thursday they will march across the Antioch Bridge (civil disobedience action?) and spend the night in Brannon Island State Park.

Well, it goes on and on, arriving at the Sacramento Mall at 2pm Monday March 30th. On the website this is called "Sacramento Day of Action" In the materials provided to me, it says:

Opportunities for civil disobedience and lobby opportunities will be available but have not been organized by the March committee.

Hmmm, I wonder if the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild had a hand in that language.

I do notice that the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild is holding a "Legal Observer Training" at USF on Tuesday. (Although the University of San Francisco is a Catholic institution, it is Jesuit run and permits promotion of gay activities on the campus.) The training is just in time for those who would like to serve as an "observer" for the March:

The primary role of legal observers is to monitor law enforcement and collect evidence during protests, demonstrations, strikes and other public political actions. Trainees will be required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement with the National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Area Chapter.

I wonder what sort of training would necessitate the signing of a "Confidentiality Agreement"?

Lesbian Threatens Million Gay Riot if Prop 8 Upheld

The California Supreme Court heard arguments today why it should overturn Proposition 8, the amendment to the California State Constitution specifying marriage as as between a man and a woman, and what to do with the 18,000 same sex marriages that occurred in the months before the November election. A lead petitioner in the case, Robin Tyler, is threatening massive street protests if Prop 8 is upheld.

In an op/ed published in the San Francisco Chronicle Monday, she argued for her same-sex marriage and against Prop 8. Robin Tyler ended with this threat if Prop 8 is upheld:

If the court does rule for us, tens of thousands of us will be on the streets that night celebrating a great victory, not just for us but for everyone.

But if we lose and Prop. 8 stands, even if the court rules to uphold existing same-sex marriages, hundreds of thousands of us will be on the streets, angrier than we have ever been.

The time for saying "please" is over.

Now, Reuters is reporting that the tone of the questions of the judges today indicates that they will not overturn prop 8. And Robin Tyler has upped the number she wants to come out into the streets:

Justices, including those who backed same-sex unions last year, asked questions showing they were wary of overstepping the court's role.

Some 18,000 same-sex couples married between June, after the court ruling, and November, when the ban passed. They included Robin Tyler, one of the lead petitioners in the case heard on Thursday. In addition to ruling on the legality of the ban, the court is deciding the fate of the marriages in limbo.

"I think they are going to uphold our marriages and they are going to uphold Proposition 8, and it's a loss," Tyler told Reuters after the arguments ended. "What I care about now is getting a million people in the street."