Trans Universe

By Monica F. Helms

The power of the internet has come to age and the LGBT Movement is benefiting. This cannot be move evident then what happened on November 15, 2008. All across the country, at the exact same moment in time, LGBT people gather at capital buildings, city halls, town halls and many other places, to protest the passage of Proposition 8, the amendment to the California state constitution banning same-sex marriage. The back of the camel broke when the passage of Prop 8 became the last straw.

I will repeat what the LGBT community has been saying for the last two weeks, but it bears repeating. On November 4, 2008, at 10 PM EST, 7PM PST, the poles closed in California, Oregon and Washington, and a minute later, all the news organizations declared Barack Obama our next President. Here is a man who we know as the most progressive thinker and supporter of LGBT rights this country has ever had. He will make history by becoming America’s first African American President. The celebration in the country from all corners of the progressive communities, including the LGBT community, could not have been any louder.

(Break)

But, as the evening progressed, the LGBT community got the word that anti-gay measures had been passed in Florida, Arkansas and Arizona. We held out hope that the uncounted votes in California would defeat Prop 8, and we could celebrate even more. But, it turned out not to be. The evening became a bittersweet one for the LGBT community.

Across the county, protests sprang up in a very quick time, all because of our communications across the internet. The early protests were aimed at religious group that supported Prop 8, because people’s anger needed a quick and visible outlet. Then the blame game started, misdirecting further anger to racist finger pointing.

However, the anger matured rather quickly and an idea of having a nationwide protest at the same moment in time was born on Facebook. Within a couple of days from its inception, Join the Impact began coordinating what would become the largest LGBT protest in history and the first countrywide simultaneous LGBT protest as well.

Atlanta, GA also joined the movement, and at 2 PM that afternoon, the Atlanta Gay Men’s Choir kicked off with a beautiful number.

After they sang, one of the organizers, Paul Schappaugh said a few words and then he introduced me. Seeing 4000 people filling the plaza of the State Capital Building and pouring into a blocked-off Washington St. in the front of the building gave me the strength to speak from the heart.

Toward the end of my speech, I said, “You will be able to tell you children and grandchildren, because we have families and we love our families. You will be able to tell them that we stood in front of this building, on the most momentous day in our history – a day that will rival Stonewall; a day that will rival many other days in our history. This is our time!”

Some speakers make people cry. Others filled our hearts with joy. I was highly impressed with what Evelyn Coleman, an award-winning author of children’s books had to say. As a straight, African American woman, she ignited the crowd with her words. She said, “My family protected me for many years before I understood that people didn’t like me because of the color of my skin. When I first understood this, my father said to me, ‘They are ignorant’. That’s what you are fighting, my friends. You are fighting ignorance.”

Another wonderful speech came from Karla Drenner, our only out lesbian State Representative, shown here.

The local news covered it.

After the event at the Capital Building, thousands more gathered at the corner of 10^th Street and Piedmont, the very heart of the Atlanta Gay District. In the cold night air, they stood, holding signs and candles listening to more speeches and making more noise. Sponsored by the businesses at that corner, Outright Bookstore, Nikimoto’s and Zocalo restaurants, cars honked as they drove by and people shouted. This could not have been a better ending to this great day.

I felt thrilled to be part of this tremendous event. History was truly made that day, and we were the ones to make it.