Pictured Photos of the Austin protest by Marie-Jo Proulx
Opponents of Texas Proposition 2, which seeks to define marriage as only between a man and a woman, rallied outside Austin City Hall on Nov. 5. The gathering was organized in response to an announcement by the Ku Klux Klan that it had obtained a license to hold an anti-gay demonstration of its own in the south plaza adjacent to the building. The handful of Klan members who showed up ( not in traditional white uniform ) read brief statements in support of restricting marriage to heterosexual couples and left shortly thereafter. A massive police presence separated them from the group of approximately 500 supporters of equal marriage rights. In spite of taunts by a few self-identified anarchists, no physical clash occurred.
Since its introduction, the Texas constitutional amendment's wording has come under criticism from a variety of groups and individuals, some not opposed at all to same-sex marriage. Because it would prohibit the state from 'recognizing and creating any arrangement similar to marriage' there is concern that the new law would also prevent domestic partnerships and civil unions. Others fear that it might even be used to nullify existing common-law marriages.
The rally was led by Glen Maxey, Texas's first openly gay legislator and founder of No Nonsense in November, a grassroots group working to educate voters about the potential consequences of Prop 2.
After reviewing the major events in the history of U.S. LGBT rights, Maxey listed the many Texas newspapers whose editorial pages have taken a stance against enacting anti-gay discrimination. 'Allies in major cities are standing up for us. Every day in Texas someone is stepping beyond their fear,' he said.
Following Maxey was Marti Bier, a student at the University of Texas's LBJ School of Public Affairs, who founded Campus Alliance Against Inequality, a coalition of 22 student groups and associations. To the diverse crowd's enthusiastic reaction, she declared, 'It's just not cool to be associated with bigotry anymore. I'm not sure the Klan knows how much they've helped us today.' Bier then explained how she and other students reached out to their peers on campus to raise awareness of Prop 2 and invite them to cast a ballot for inclusiveness. At last count, after five days of early voting, LBJ's polling station had seen 5,228 voters, an unusually high turnout in a non-election year.
Rev. Peter Johnson, an acquaintance of Rosa Parks and colleague of Martin Luther King, Jr. who has himself been arrested more than a hundred times in the struggle for African-American civil rights, spoke of the difference one person can make, and of the power grand ideas have over small minds.
Fifty years after Parks inspired a generation and only days after she lay in honor at the nation's Capitol, Johnson celebrated her spirit and warned all present not to let proponents of an ultra-conservative agenda impose their will on targeted minorities.
After almost two hours of speeches, singing, and sign waving, Maxey asked people to disperse peacefully. All obeyed his instructions while additional pleas were made for a final canvassing push before voting day, Tuesday, Nov. 8 [ after Windy City Times went to press ] .
One of the dozens of Austin City police officers assigned to protect demonstrators, who requested anonymity because of department policy on public statements, expressed relief that no trouble had erupted. Invited to comment on the event, he said it had been 'an excellent demo, a brave stand against hatred.' In his words, a simple tally of participants on each side of the road-block 'showed a big win for those who don't stand with the Klan.'
While Austin is known for its more liberal views and progressive politics, it was anticipated by many in attendance that Texas' more populous and conservative cities remained likely to tip the vote in favor of the amendment.
