The nation’s largest Proposition 8 opposition march and rally was held on November 15, 2008 in San Diego. The group marched from Balboa Park south to Broadway and then west to the County Administration building on Pacific Blvd. (see route) That was a long march, so I’m surprised to see so many turned up to make that trek down 6th Ave and through the heart of downtown (Broadway).
Just for comparison, the average attendance of a 2008 San Diego Padres game was around 29,000.
It was interesting to see the crowds in downtown. Everywhere you looked, you would see marchers leaving the march destination and heading through the streets back to a car or cab, Little Italy Farmer’s Market, or just wandering around.
I’m quite surprised that San Diego had the nation’s largest march. I would have thought that NYC , LA, or San Francisco/Bay Area would have turned out a bit higher numbers than San Diego.
I saw a few people speak at the rally including the San Diego city attorney, Mike Aguirre (who just lost to Jan Goldsmith on Nov 4). Todd Gloria, a newly elected San Diego council member (and also gay) also spoke. Mr. Gloria will replace Toni Atkins who is the current city council member (and she is also a lesbian) who married her partner earlier this year. Several of the San Diego Facebook and blog organizers and a spokesman for the ACLU also spoke.
Mike Aguirre informed the crowd saying that San Diego will join L.A. and San Francisco to oppose the measure. I really didn’t know what that meant, but if three of the largest cities in California oppose the measure and lend support to overturning it to give the right back to same-sex couples, then that should be good news for the Proposition 8 opposition to hear.
Mayor Sanders had already opposed the measure and spoke at a previous rally alongside his lesbian daughter. Earlier this year, the San Diego city council members voted 6-2 to oppose Proposition 8.
There were both straight and gay peoples at the rally. There were some music, people walking around taking donations, and the ACLU taking donations for drinks and water bottles. It was very sunny and hot for a November day, so most everyone was trying to hide in the shadows of trees or stand in the water fountain to cool off.
Protesters Called “Terrorists” by Prop 8 Campaign Manager
Frank Schubert, manager of the Yes on 8 campaign, said that the No on 8 peaceful marches constitutes as terrorism.
These cowardly acts are intended to terrorize people. They mean to frighten and to intimidate the people who supported Proposition 8 and those who have stood up for traditional marriage. This is the very definition of terrorism and that is what is occurring in California today.
– Frank Schubert commenting on Protest 8 marches
The freedom of assembly and the right to (peacefully) protest are granted by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. That same amendment also grants the freedom of speech/press and denies the government to establish a religion.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
– First Amendment, US Constitution
Using Mr. Schubert’s statement that would have made Nov 15 the largest terrorist attack in US history. Calling Californians who opposed Mr. Schubert’s beliefs “terrorists” isn’t a great way to conduct a conversation. Since I did attend part of the rally, I guess he is also calling me a terrorist.
It’s sad that those who disagree with another side would get to the level of calling the opposing side terrorists. Does that mean that all non-Christians are terrorists? Does that mean all homosexuals are terrorists? Does that mean that 46% of San Diego voters including the majority of the city council, mayor, governor, CA senators, and president-elect (who also opposed Prop 8) are terrorists?
New San Diego Proposition 8 Post-Election Survey Data
KGTV San Diego and SurveyUSA teamed up to provide some more survey results. The following data was collected on Nov 14 (the day before the marches).
- What should happen to gay couples who were legally married in California before the law changed? Should their marriage remain legal? Should their marriage be immediately annulled? Or, do you not know enough to say?
56% Remain Legal, 37% Immediately Annulled - Will the recent rallies held by “No on Prop 8″ protesters ultimately help their cause? Hurt their cause? Or will it not make a difference one way or the other?
28% Help, 32% Hurt, 35% No Difference - Of the 249/500 that voted for Prop 8: Have the protesters changed your opinion on Prop 8?
10% Yes, 88% No, 2% Not Sure
The survey was weighted towards the Yes on 8 supporters with 50% For/Yes, 34% Against/No, 13% Did Not Vote. San Diego County voted 53% Yes and 46% No. I think this is to how the survey was conducted, since most of the surveys never call cell phones which tends to be held by the younger generations who overwhelming voted against the measure.
Majority Rule and Minority Rights
All democracies are systems in which citizens freely make political decisions by majority rule. But rule by the majority is not necessarily democratic: No one, for example, would call a system fair or just that permitted 51 percent of the population to oppress the remaining 49 percent in the name of the majority… The rights of minorities do not depend upon the goodwill of the majority and cannot be eliminated by majority vote.
– US State Department, What is a Democracy? Defining Democracy
Resources
- San Diego No on 8 protest may have been largest in the nation (San Diego City Beat)
- S.D. march backing gay marriage draws at least 20,000 (Union Tribune)
- Pro-Same-Sex Marriage Rally Draws Thousands (KGTV San Diego)
- KGTV/Survey USA post-election surveys
- Theories abound over size of Prop. 8 protest (Union Tribune)
Multimedia
- Sign On San Diego Protest Video (Union Tribune)
- Sign On San Diego Protest Photo Gallery (Union Tribune)
Thanks for this report, Jim. I’m really impressed, along with a lot of us San Franciscans, that S.D. had such an massive turnout!
I just can’t believe that Schubert had the audacity to call us “terrorists,” and say we “mean to frighten and to intimidate” (I don’t recall the No on 8 ralliers rioting or looting or making death threats, do you?) –after all the fear tactics his camp used in promoting Prop 8. The outright hypocrisy is getting more absurd by the minute.
Terrorizing the definition of marriage?
The same kind of broken logic from the same great thinkers who dumped 12 million on the yes on 8 campaign, then shrugged their shoulders and said, “can’t attack us, we’re a church.”
Updated post. Added paragraph from the US State Department stating the relationship between majority rule and minority rights when defining democracy.
According to Union Tribute (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20081116-9999-1n16march.html), the SF/Bay Area crowd wasn’t as large as SD because it wasn’t planned. 10,000 people just showed up anyway.