Supreme Court Protests or Celebrations Planned Coast-to-Coast

Along with Lambda Legal, former national StopDrLaura activists Robin Tyler and Andy Thayer have played key roles in taking the Supreme Court campaign national, complete with a clearing house website, http://www.CABN.org/DefendOurRights

"While many activists were slow to recognize the significance of Lambda Legal's case," said Tyler, "fortunately many people have now shaken off the cobwebs and realized that our very basic freedoms are at stake. At issue are privacy rights, which are critical not only for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered people, but also stemming the erosion of pro choice rights. Another huge issue is our equal protection under the law. The fact that sodomy laws allow bigoted courts and legislators to brand us as a 'criminal class' makes it easier for them to deny us equal employment, housing, and other basic rights."

Activists plan on celebrating if the Court strikes down the Texas law, and will protest if the law is upheld. Either way, it is widely viewed as the most significant Court decision on LGBT issues in a generation. "We just can't take a court decision of this magnitude lying down," said Thayer, who is also co-founder of the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network. "If it's a victory, we have to press our advantage. If it's a defeat, we cannot just meekly stay at home and allow the bigots to think we'll acquiesce to attempts to steamroller our community."

Besides Lambda Legal, other national organizations have stepped in to lend a hand with the protests/celebrations. The United Federation of the Metropolitan Community Churches, the National Organization for Women, and the Stonewall Democrats each have sent out messages to their huge memberships urging them to attend the local activities in their area, and perhaps organize ones in cities where nothing is scheduled yet. Gay.com, BadPuppy, Fenceberry and The List have each run significant pieces on the protests/celebrations. Window Media has run free ads
in the Washington Blade, The New York Blade, the Southern Voice and the Houston Voice, and the Provincetown Banner has offered to run a free ad as well.

All protests/celebrations and meetings are scheduled for the evening of the day the Supreme Court decision is announced. If past practice is any guide, the Court will announce its decision at 10:30 am (EST) on a Monday in June. Activists organizing the events are therefore urging pro-gay forces to carefully listen to the news each Monday morning and be prepared to go to your local protest/celebration that evening. To get the latest information on protests/celebration locations and times, periodically go to http://www.CABN.org/DefendOurRights To get detailed background on the case go to http://www.LambdaLegal.org/MakingHistory

Here is the latest information on protest activities around the country:

ATLANTA: 6:00 - 6:30 pm - Join Lambda Legal & the Atlanta LGBT and allied community for a reception & refreshments, "Lick for Liberty," at Jakes Ice Creams & Sorbets, 970 Piedmont Ave (near 10th & Piedmont). 6:30-7:00pm rally (dinner available for purchase ). Free and open to the public. For more information, contact: Lambda Legal at 404-897-1880. Visit our website at http://www.lambdalegal.org

AUSTIN, Texas: 6:30 pm - Celebrate or Speak Out in Republic Square Park with speakers from the LGBT community leaders and Texas lawmakers (past and present). Sponsored by the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. Go to a special page of their new website for more information about the rally: http://www.lgrl.org/lawrence ... and also check out the home page of their new website: http://www.lgrl.org

BOSTON: 6:30 pm - A protest or a celebration depending on what the court decides. Coley Square, Boston. Sponsored by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and QueerToday.com For information: Thoppe [at] NGLTF.org; Trevor Thoppe, 617.492.6393; QueerToday.com; or Milo200 [at] aol.com

CHARLESTON, South Carolina: 7 pm - Meeting at the offices of the Alliance for Full Acceptance, 1818 Elsie Drive. Co-sponsors: AFFA and the Lowcountry Gay and Lesbian Alliance

CHICAGO: 7 pm – Rally at the corner of Halsted & Roscoe. Co-sponsored by the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network and Equality Illinois / Contact: CABNstopthehate [at] aol.com / cabn.org or 888.471.0874. On Wednesday, June 25 the Autonomous Zone will sponsor a meeting on "The Most Important LGBT Court Decision of Our Generation," with CABN's Andy Thayer discussing the implications of the Court's decision. 7 pm, 2124 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina: 7 pm - Informational meeting at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center, 1108 Woodrow. Info: South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement, 803.771.7713

DALLAS: 5:45 pm - Rally at the Main Parking Lot, John Thomas Gay & Lesbian Community Center, 2701 Reagan St. (at Brown). Speakers include: Lee Taft - South Central Regional Director, Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund; Roger Wedell - President, Dallas Gay & Lesbian Alliance; Hector Garcia - Texas Human Rights Foundation; Jane Dolkart - Professor, SMU School of Law; Hon. Terri Hodge - Texas House of Representatives; Erin Moore - DGLA-PAC & Human Rights Campaign Dallas Steering Committee; Steve Atkinson - Co-Chair, Lesbian and Gay Rights Lobby of Texas; Dennis Coleman - National Co-Chair, Human Rights Campaign Board of Governors; and, Dick Peeples - Local attorney & long-time activist in the repeal of 21.06. Info: call Lambda Legal, 214.219.8585

DETROIT: 6 pm, Federal Courthouse (231 West Lafayette). Sponsored by the Triangle Foundation. Info: 313.537.3323

HOUSTON: 5 pm – Rally on the steps of City Hall (901 Bagby). Join John Lawrence and Tyron Garner for this important occasion. Speakers will include GLBT leaders, lawyers, and public officials. Info: contact Mitchell Katine at 713.981.9595 or at mkatine [at] wba-law.com

LOS ANGELES/WEST HOLLYWOOD, California: 7 pm – West Hollywood Auditorium (the Auditorium is located on San Vicente between Santa Monica and Melrose). Event co-sponsored by the Movement for Action and Accountability and the City of West Hollywood / Speakers will include attorney Jon Davidson from Lambda Legal, one of the legal organizations involved in the case, attorney Martha Matthews from the ACLU of Southern California, State Senator Sheila Kuehl, Assembly people Jackie Goldberg and Paul Koretz, the West Hollywood City Council, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, rally organizer Ivy Bottini, and StopDrLaura.com creator Robin Tyler. Contact: Ryan Gierach 323.650.2879 or Ryan.G [at] Journalist.com

MIAMI, Florida: 6:30-9:30 pm – Rally sponsored by SAVE Dade, at the American Legion Bar, 6445 NE 7th Avenue, Miami. For more information, please contact: Jacqueline Baker, 305.751.7283, GreenJacqueline [at] yahoo.com, http://www.SAVEDade.org

NEW YORK: 7 pm – Rally at Stonewall Park (7th Ave/Christopher St). Sponsored by Queers For Peace And Justice NYC. Info: QueersForPeaceAndJustice [at] yahoo.com

PALM SPRINGS, California: 7 pm - Arenas Road. Sponsor: Stonewall Democrats of Palm Springs. For information: phone 760.320.5787

PITTSBURGH: 5 pm - Sentator Santorum's office at 1 Station Square...if the Court votes "no" we will then snake march to the U.S. District Court building at Liberty & Grant. Co-sponsored by RESYST and the Rosenberg Institute for Peace and Justice. For information: David Meieran, 412.421.7716, dmeieran [at] 123mail.org

RICHMOND, Virginia: 3 pm - Press conference at the Bell Tower at the Capitol. Info: Dyana Mason, Equality Virginia, 804.643.4816

SAN FRANCISCO: 5 pm - Harvey Milk Plaza (Castro & Market Streets). Press conference and rally. Speakers will include: Tommi Avicolli-Mecca, longtime queer activist with the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco and Out Against the War Coalition; Tory Becker, LAGAI - Queer Insurrection; Sister Kitty Catalyst O.C.P. & Sister Dana Van Iquity leading a ritual blessing and kiss-in; Chris Daley, Transgender Law Center; Tina D'Elia, Hate Violence Survivors Project Director, Community United Against Violence; Paula Ettelbrick, Executive Director, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC); Calvin Gipson, board member SF LGBT Pride Committee; Robert Haaland, President, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club; Jason Hancock, performer, "Angels in America", San Francisco Ballet; Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights; Dr. Robert Lawrence, Notorious Bisexual; Dr. Carol Queen, Executive Director - Center for Sex & Culture, Good Vibrations; Jamez Smith, San Francisco-based poet; Beth Teper, Executive Director, Children Of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere (COLAGE); Hank Wilson, SURVIVE AIDS; Andy Wong, OUTfront Program, Amnesty International USA. Event co-sponsors include (list in formation): Organizations participating in the event include: Amnesty International USA, Beautiful Lips On Whistles (BLOW), Center for Sex & Culture, Good Vibrations, Children Of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere (COLAGE), Community United Against Violence, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), LAGAI - Queer Insurrection, QueerNet, a project of the Online Policy Group, SURVIVE AIDS, Transgender Law Center. For more information: 415.552.6031 or Mecca44 [at] aol.com

WASHINGTON, DC: 7 pm – Dupont Circle Park. Co-sponsored by Queers for Racial and Economic Justice & DC Radical Faeries / Contact: Jench1977 [at] hotmail.com or 301.277.1854

For excellent background information on the Lawrence v. Texas case, be sure to visit http://www.LambdaLegal.org/MakingHistory

# # #