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New Yorkers March Against Proposition 8

Jen Chung

Published Nov 13, 2008

Modified Nov 13, 2008

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Jen Chung

Published Nov 13, 2008

Modified Nov 13, 2008

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Last night, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people gathered for a protest outside the Church of Latter Day Saints' Manhattan Mormon Temple and march down Broadway to Columbus Circle. They were protesting California's passage of Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage; the Mormon Church is targeted because alot of support and funding for advertising to support Proposition 8 came from Mormons.

Streets were closed at the group made its way down the street. It was peaceful, but with many spirited chants. One marcher told the AP, "I'm fed up and disgusted with religious institutions taking political stances and calling them moral when it's nothing but politics. It's hypocrisy. Meanwhile, they enjoy tax-free status while trying to deny me rights." And a Mormon who protested against the church in Salt Lake City sent a letter to the Salt Lake Tribune--here's an excerpt:

It used to sting to hear people criticize my church's doctrines and leaders, but the sting of knowing that your neighbor can vote away your civil rights, not because they stand to be harmed in any way, but simply because they feel like it, is also profound. LDS faithful can walk away from the harsh words of anti-Mormons, but gays can't walk away from Prop. 8 unscathed.
If I were gay, I would much rather that someone say they hate me and leave me alone than claim to love me and treat me the way Mormons have treated the gay community.

However, in a SL Trib article after a Prop 8 protest, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, Joe Matthews (who supports gay marriage), told the Trib attacking the Mormon church might be "counterproductive... Mormons are unpopular and the church went a long way in diving into this issue. But it doesn't make long-term strategic sense. You are appealing to religious bigotry and I don't think that's a good idea. You need to convince people of faith that they're not under attack."

Today, the County of Los Angeles is joining one of three lawsuits to overturn Prop 8. LA County is joining the City and County of San Francisco, County of Santa Clara and City of Los Angeles in the case.

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Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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