Gays played a visible role in many of the protests that took place this week in New York. (Photo by Cyd Zeigler Jr.)
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CYD ZEIGLER JR.
Friday, September 03, 2004
NEW YORK — Among the hundreds of thousands
of people demonstrating against President Bush and the Republican National Convention
on a sunny Sunday afternoon on Aug. 29 were about 1,000 protesters from the ad
hoc group Gays Against Bush.
“This [election] is more important than anything,” said GAB organizer
Gilbert Baker, 53, of Harlem. “It’s imperative that gay people register
and vote. I think we could actually turn the election.”
Most media accounts of Sunday’s demonstrations said at least 500,000
people took to the streets to protest the Bush administration. Through Wednesday,
about 1,700 people had been arrested, many of them carrying out acts of non-violent
civil disobedience.
While there were some acts of violence reported, including a police officer
who was injured Monday night, most of the protests were non-violent.
DontAmend.com, a Web site fighting the constitutional amendment that would
ban gay marriage, sent its national action coordinator, Andy Thayer, from Chicago
to participate. Thayer also protested at the Democratic National Convention
in Boston in July.
“Both of these presidential candidates are against our equal rights,”
he said. “We think that we have to take the politicians on regardless
of party if they are opposed to our equality.”
He argued that gay Democrats have given Kerry a “pass” on gay issues
in hopes of winning the presidency. He said lack of action against the Democratic
nominee is what led to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy
and the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.
“Progressive people took a pass on putting pressure on the president
because they mistakenly thought they would have a friend in the White House,”
Thayer said.
While all of the marchers were earnest in their opposition to Bush’s
policies about everything from the war in Iraq to the environment, many kept
their messages fun and light.
Jeffrey Marx, 27, of Hell’s Kitchen, held a two-sided sign that read “Bush
sucks” and “What a drag.” The latter message had a photo of
Bush made over, complete with hot pink lipstick and blue eye shadow.
Liz Maher, 29, of Ft. Green in Brooklyn, was one of many women who riffed on
the president’s last name. Her placard read “Shave your pussies,
no Bush in ’05.”
In timely fashion, just moments before Gays Against Bush joined the larger
crowd in Chelsea, the Glamericans arrived, arrayed in Church Lady drag.
“Our motto is, we’ll do whatever it takes,” Glamericans organizer
Erik Mercer said. “Blood, sweater and glitter, marching in high heels,
unnatural fibers — whatever we can do.”
Other protesters echoed Mercer’s sentiments.
“I don’t think we’re going to have any effect on the Republicans,”
Maher said. “They don’t listen. That’s the whole point. I
hope the rest of the world sees we don’t support this administration.”
Just after a loud cheer was let out by the crowd up and down Seventh Avenue
marking the commencement of the march at noon, a small group of gay protesters
made their way to Bryant Park, where New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was
co-hosting “The Big Tent Event” with Log Cabin Republicans, welcoming
gay delegates to New York City.
Steve Weinstein contributed to this story.
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