Some serious shit went down.. Now there is over $100 in Ding-Dongs and Ho-Hos in the back of my car.
I began my work day at 9am, fully expecting it to be a dull morning. Laruen gets a call from the Minority Affairs Writer for the Deseret News wondering if LGSU or the LGBT Resource Center has any response prepared for the rally the next day. "What rally?" Lauren inquires. As it turns out, the Utah College Republicans are throwing a rally in support of traditional marriage; petitions, wedding cake, and mock (!!!) marriage. FLASHBACK: A few weeks ago, the Utah College Republicans did the same thing at USU. They intentionally keep everything under wraps so that LGBT groups don't have time to formulate a response. So, with a mere 20 hours until their rally, Lauren and I get to work. I think we may have very well tapped every resource we have today in an effort to heavily outstage and outnumber the Utah College Republicans. The Administration at the University was extremely supportive of our cause and consistantly hit home a very clear message with us all day: disciminitory attitudes like these will not be tolerated on campus. We sent out as many emails as we could possibly muster recipiants for. People planned to attend in support include student groups (LGSU, queer'd, Students for Choice, College Democrats, College Republicans [note: not Utah College Republicans; different, bigger, much cooler group.]), University Organizations (Women's Resource Center, LGBT Resource Center, Center for Ethnic Student Affairs, Office of Diversity), Community organizations (GLCCU, ACLU, Equality Utah, PFLAG, NCCJ) and a host of very cool individuals (ASSU President and Vice-President, '04-'05 Senior Class President, Vice President of Diversity, Associate Vice-President of Student Affairs, Union Building Director) just to name a few. Needless to say, I was absolutely blown away by the amount of support we generated in such a short amount of time. It's nice to know we have friends on campus. We worked late into the night sending out emails, press releases, and making protest signs.
Rally -- Wednesday March 31st, at the University of Utah
Where: University Union Patio West Side of the Building (200 S. Central Campus Drive)
When: 10 AM - 1 PM
"This rally was formed in response to the Utah College Republicans planned demonstration against LGBT families. The University of Utah Lesbian Gay Student Union will be staging a non-confrontational display to better inform students and the public about promoting our families. In turn, the display will support the constitution by not allowing it to be used to deny rights to certain groups and imposing moral issues through the constitution. We will meet on the University of Utah Olpin Union patio at 10 AM. We will then march towards the Business School. We will rally to send a message that Gay and Lesbian Families are just as strong as any other family. We want to show that amending the state and federal constitution to deny civil rights is not American! This rally has formed to show the Utah College Republicans and the public that marriage is about strong committed couples."
We need numbers and as much support as possible. If you can make it, please do. Thanks. I'm off to sleep..
Rally -- Wednesday March 31st, at the University of Utah
Where: University Union Patio West Side of the Building (200 S. Central Campus Drive)
When: 10 AM - 1 PM
"This rally was formed in response to the Utah College Republicans planned demonstration against LGBT families. The University of Utah Lesbian Gay Student Union will be staging a non-confrontational display to better inform students and the public about promoting our families. In turn, the display will support the constitution by not allowing it to be used to deny rights to certain groups and imposing moral issues through the constitution. We will meet on the University of Utah Olpin Union patio at 10 AM. We will then march towards the Business School. We will rally to send a message that Gay and Lesbian Families are just as strong as any other family. We want to show that amending the state and federal constitution to deny civil rights is not American! This rally has formed to show the Utah College Republicans and the public that marriage is about strong committed couples."
We need numbers and as much support as possible. If you can make it, please do. Thanks. I'm off to sleep..