Protesters speak against Prop 8 in Columbia

People also protested the measure in Chicago and St. Louis.

By Sangeeta Shastry

Published Nov. 17, 2008

On Nov. 4, California voters passed Proposition 8, which defined marriage in the state Constitution to include only unions between men and women. More than 1,500 miles away, at the steps of the Boone County Courthouse, about 60 people gathered Saturday afternoon to speak out against the proposition.

With a rainbow flag flying from the columns at Eighth and Walnut streets, and many signs and a table with petitions set out in the crowd, several spoke out against the controversial measure.

In 2004, Missouri voters approved an amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state.

Dick Blount, a former minister with the Missouri United Methodist Church in Columbia, said the passing of the amendment infringes upon the rights of all citizens.

"Brothers and sisters, you are now having your civil rights denied," he said. "You've got to keep working. I know it's going to happen within the next five to 10 years."

Denise Gilmore, who is a Columbia resident and a Democratic activist, spoke about her personal experiences.

Her father, who is black, married Gilmore's mother, who is white, in the South during the civil rights movement, at a time when 14 states still prohibited such unions.

"People told me I was so unfortunate to be black and gay," Gilmore said to an audience that broke into laughter.

Dean Andersen, who is a health educator at MU and also said he was a community activist, emphasized many of the themes that previous speakers introduced.

"Discrimination is always wrong," Andersen said. "If we allow it to flourish, we will all suffer."

Andersen said the gay and lesbian community should no longer be "relegated as second-class" and that the time has come for equal citizenship. Andersen also encouraged the protest participants to sign the petition to foster "understanding and compassion" in the community.

"You are the voices of change," Andersen said. "And you are not alone. There are hundreds of thousands just like you."

Don Love, a Columbia resident, was among the protestors present. Active with the organization Parents and Friends for Lesbians and Gays, or PFLAG, Love's daughter is a lesbian living in Seattle with her domestic partner.

"This is an issue that should be a non-issue," Love said. "Sexual orientation is a genetic identity and a social identity."

Love also expressed interest in the effect of the demographic of the voter turnout during the general elections on the passing of Proposition 8, saying that the country did not experience a "normal mix of voters" on Nov. 4.

"God created people," he said. "If a person is attracted to a person of the same sex, that is their nature. We have to respect God's judgment in creating them that way."

Columbia was not the only city in which a rally was held in recent weeks to protest the California amendment. In Chicago and St. Louis, rallies held to speak out against the measure also drew large crowds on Saturday.

Frank Schubert, manager of the Proposition 8 campaign for the group Protect Marriage, said opponents of the proposition have filed lawsuits and launched protests, but the campaign continues to believe in the benefits of traditional marriage.

"Protesting is a time-honored tradition," Schubert said. "But my concern is when the protests turn ugly and are targeted against the civil rights of others."