Students travel to Washington for National Equality March

Show Me No Hate offered a ride to Washington.

By Jessica Silverman

Published Oct. 13, 2009

A coalition called Show Me No Hate offered a charter bus to members of the Missouri lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning community so they could participate in the National Equality March on Sunday in Washington.

The bus left St. Louis on Saturday afternoon and arrived in Washington early Sunday in time for the rally.

Show Me No Hate founder Ed Reggi started the group with his partner Scott Emanuel after Proposition 8 was approved in California. He said Show Me No Hate's core value and mission is about marriage equality.

"The primary goal is marriage quality in all 50 states," Reggi said. "Including Missouri. Period."

Reggi and his partner were married in Iowa, but he said he wants Missouri to legally recognize his marriage. A constitutional amendment in the state's constitution defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

Reggi said banks, his credit union and his life insurance recognized the Iowa marriage license because the businesses have branches there.

"I saved $600 a year because I was legally married by state," Reggi said. "Companies are getting it."

Reggi said he used Twitter and Facebook to get the word out about the national event, and said he is able to text more than 1,800 supporters at once through his group.

"Social media has been the No. 1 best way to reach people," Reggi said. "We also went out to different places that are LGBT-friendly. We put fliers up outside restaurants, bars and churches after services. We wanted to really reach everybody that we possibly could."

Show Me No Hate tweeted from the event, and other participants, such as Columbia resident Arthur Nunn, did as well.

"National Equality March is growing by the second," he said during the event on his Twitter account.

Tens of thousands of people were estimated to be in attendance.

According to Nunn's tweets, pop music idol Lady Gaga spoke at the National Equality March. A St. Louis filmmaker also accompanied the group on the Show Me No Hate-sponsored bus.

MU senior and sociology major Tom Romano, who rode on the bus, said a march such as the one in Washington was needed to show people care about the LGBTQ community issues.

"Your background or sexual orientation doesn't matter," Romano said. "Parents were there, brothers and sisters were there, friends and people who knew people were there. We all want equality in America."

Reggi said he wants to connect to everyone from the state at the National Equality March, so they can move as a Missouri coalition.

"In the next four or six years, I want to get the vote back up for the Missouri voters," Reggi said. "I want to get rid of the bigotry from the constitution and strike down that definition of marriage."

Romano said at first he thought the trip was beyond anything he could do, until he looked at the specifics like cost and time.

"The opportunity to be a part of something this big was the deciding factor for me," Romano said. "It was a way to make a difference and be a part of something bigger than what is going on in my life. This still affects me and people that I know and love."