SFist: Protesters Stage Sit-in at Castro and 18th Streets

Christopher Rogers

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:48:47 -0800

This was an idiot action. Not helpful. Not furthering the/any cause. Idiotic. Here's a good outlet/starting-point for effort: http://stop8.org

DC1974

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:46:00 -0800

Since that "lesbian teacher" is a good friend of mine. And I was at the wedding and reception. I feel I need to stand up for her since potshots continue to be taken at her and her partner. I'm sorry but that was one of the most beautiful moments of the whole campaign, it's the absolute utopian promise of San Francisco. That children would be able to celebrate their teachers happiness not at the teachers suggestion but at the suggestion of each other and the fellow teachers. It was an absolutely beautiful moment. It reminds me of when my mother was a teacher when pregnant with me. My baby book is full of congratulations cards written by 4th graders at a school in coal-mining country of Eastern Pennsylvania. Kids want to be able to celebrate the important milestones with their teachers like that. And good on them for being allowed to do it. She's not an "idiot" nor are any of her coworkers. Stop second guessing the motives of your own ladies in arms and please try to focus on getting the message out about our rights. We shouldn't have to gain equality by announcing to the world that some of us -- teachers we don't agree with, transgenders, whomever -- won't be coming along with us. Equality should be for all of us, not those you seem to want to announce as socially acceptable.

travin

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:50:41 -0800

mamcart, good to know. thanks for the updated info. however, I don't believe that in the context of castro being a tourist destination "when" a protest can be effective has ever been an issue. If you wish to limit your view to only daytime tour buses, then yes a nighttime protest obviously won't be very effective to that niche group--that's self-evident.

mamcart

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:56:44 -0800

"tour buses that have been so controversial of late, including on this website, or are you completely out of the loop?" Just to point out: that coach stop was revoked--as reported on this site. And tour buses don't run at night. I know, because I'm on their loop. (Seriously, I have to stop working 5 times a day because of their idiotic PA system). There were much better places to stage a symbolic sit-in than that...

alexchousa

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:03:31 -0800

They left the intersection around 9 and cops opened the streets up again, but I was working in the Castro until 1 and there were still some folks making noise with drums and whistles and a megaphone on the sidewalks. Also, yeah, Slappydafrong, you need to check your facts before calling someone else an idiot. I was one of the photographers at the lesbian teacher's wedding, and she had no idea her class would be there. One of the parents thought it would be a great idea to teach kids about equality, and another parent called the Chronicle to get coverage on it. Nobody expected it to be twisted around so that folks would freak out and think we're brainwashing kids. I have plenty of pictures showing how happy those kids were when they got to congratulate a teacher whom they love so much.

SFJoe

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:19:51 -0800

Hey Slappydafrong. Before you call the schoolteacher an idiot, you should know that having the kids attend her wedding was the PARENT'S idea, not the teachers. It was a surprise to her. Quit getting your news from the right-wing propaganda: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/11/MNFG13F1VG.DTL

travin

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:41:23 -0800

Sniffy, mayhaps you've forgotten the Castro is a tourist destination. You know, besides the ones that walk around and spend money, also the ones that ride around in tour buses that have been so controversial of late, including on this website, or are you completely out of the loop? There's lots of use in protesting in the Castro. They were still banging their drums and getting people to honk their horns when I went through there this morning, Sunday, around 12:45am.

thelonelady

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:32:49 -0800

There are some practical meetings coming up: Wednesday, 11/19 7-9pm @ SF LGBT Center, 2nd Floor 1800 Market St. Prop 8 and Race: What's next?- a community forum Thursday, 11/20 6:30-9:15pm @ Veteran's War Memorial 401 Van Ness Ave. Marriage Equality Town Hall Meeting

perlerorneq

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:29:00 -0800

Hey, I thought it was a pretty big step today that instead of just marching to the castro right after the protest they took the march to union square, chinatown, northbeach, fisherman's wharf, and other tourist saturated areas.

Sniffy

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:11:53 -0800

protesting in the castro is preaching to the choir. useless and pointless.

izzy9

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:17:07 -0800

I appreciate the energy, but it still makes me groan to see the inability of this campaign to step out of comfort-zones. Where was this sort of passion and organization two months/weeks ago? I don't mind the inconvenience (I always think it's annoying when people complain that protests are better if they don't 'inconvenience' anyone - wtf's the point? Denial of civil rights is an inconvenience, and it's good to fire up), but is this really the forum? Maybe if literally tens of thousands of people really filled catro st. or something. I would be all for the sit-ins if on top of a way to energize and vent they used the time to productively discuss next steps, or how to broaden their appeals, or anything like that. But I'm afraid that, though by no means useless, just waiting for news crews and staging a pj party by sitting in on the Castro suggests that we don't know how to do anymore than preach to the choir. Where could this more effectively be done? Or could we at least have a really good, practical meeting? Have teach ins to other community leaders.church leaders, politicians? People are fired up, but it's not going to help if all anyone does is this novice political navel gazing.

Slappydafrog

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:31:38 -0800

Where was all this energy and effort BEFORE the election? And how does inconveniencing the members of your own community do any good? How about going out and meeting some of the "Yes on 8" folks, saying "hi, I'm gay, I'd like to get married, we aren't going to teach your children anything (and I think that lesbian schoolteacher was an idiot for taking those kids on a field trip to her wedding...if applicable), we aren't going to do squat to your church; we're just folks who are asking for the same treatment you're getting....if you won't let me have my marriage, are you willing to give up the favorable tax treatment? The health care benefits? The other stuff that isn't available to single people regardless of their orientation"

oskarv

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:21:37 -0800

come on, eileen!

Whole Wheat Toast

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:55:40 -0800

the group that marched around fishermans wharf are not the ones that are doing the sit-in. i saw them walk down Market to Castro and 18th, they also thought about going to the cathedral in Japantown, in all there were three protest groups that marched the streets of sf.

tvanoni

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:45:12 -0800

I really wish people would realize that the only thing this is doing is causing division in our own community. Also, the guy heading it up down there is actually homeless, and just drifts from city to city doing this. How can anyone take this serious? Please, from one gay man to the rest of the community, please stop this method of protest, it is causing the community thousands of dollars in lost revenue!

yatdave

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:09:07 -0800

Yeah, I was there when they took it over a little before 5:00. When I left, there were maybe 50-60 people in the intersection. The rest of us were just scratching our heads trying to figure out what the hell the point was. FWIW, when it was occupied last Friday, they also declared they'd be there all night. They stuck around at least long enough to be on the news, but I don't know how long things lasted after that.

urbanic

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:49:13 -0800

They probably just needed a good sit if they followed the march all the way to Fisherman's Wharf and back this afternoon....

zippy_monster

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:43:18 -0800

Preach to the choir much?