PRESS
RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Saturday,
Nov. 15 Gay Rights Protest in Shreveport, LA
Contact
Person:
Adrienne Critcher, Ph.D.
P.A.C.E.
Political Director
LSUS
Gay-Straight Alliance Faculty Sponsor
817 Ontario
St.
Shreveport, LA 71106
Home:
318-869-3930
Cell:
318-393-6556
critcher@earthlink.net
acritcher@lsus.edu
This Saturday,
November 15, at exactly the same time (12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time), people
will gather in cities in every single state in the nation for an historic
event. We would appreciate news
coverage of this remarkable event that has been organized at the grassroots
level and spread like wildfire over the Internet.
WHAT:
Nationwide protest against the passage of Prop 8 (which eliminated marriage for
same-sex couples in California)
WHEN:
12:30 p.m. CST, Saturday, November 15, 2008
WHERE
LOCALLY: in front of the Caddo Parish Courthouse, 501 Texas St.,
downtown Shreveport,
LA
NATIONAL
WEBSITE: http://jointheimpact.com
Over the
last several days, tens of thousands of gays and lesbians and their allies have
taken to the streets of California in reaction to the passage of CA
Proposition 8 on November 4, 2008. Prop 8 provides for a Constitutional
Amendment to the California constitution that eliminates
marriage for same-sex couples. On
the very same day that our nation took great pride in showing that it could move
past its shameful history of racial discrimination to elect our first
African-American president, a majority of voters in California voted their
approval of another kind of discrimination based on sexual orientation. That same day voters also passed
anti-gay constitutional amendments in Florida and Arizona, banning same-sex
marriage which did not exist in these states, and a state statute in Arkansas,
banning unmarried couples (but targeting same-sex couples who cannot marry) from
adopting or serving as foster parents.
In response to
these bans, this Saturday, November 15, 2008, the largest organized Protest /
Movement since the Civil Rights Movement will take place. The message is simple: Equal Rights for
All. The organizers of this
nationwide event have stressed that all protests, like the protests that have
taken place over the last week, will be peaceful demonstrations. The Protest /
Movement is scheduled to take place across the nation at the same time: 1:30 PM
Eastern, 12:30 PM Central, 11:30 AM Mountain and 10:30 AM Pacific on Saturday,
November 15th, 2008. Those
interested in attending this historical event can find their local protest
location by visiting: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com
Local sponsoring
organizations:
P.A.C.E.
(Political Action Council for Equality)
P.A.C.E.
is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality in Northwest Louisiana so that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) community can lead open, honest, responsible, and safe lives
at home and in the workplace. We believe that the most effective way to
achieve these goals is to educate our communities and to constructively
participate in the political process.
See www.loveandletlove.org
LSUS
Gay-Straight Alliance (LSUS GSA)
Purpose: The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) is a
group meant to foster awareness, promote education, and provide a forum for
discussion about issues of sexuality; we intend to break down the silence
surrounding these questions in order to create a place of support, respect,
pride, and safety for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members of the
community.
1. Educate students about GLBT
issues
2. Promote understanding, acceptance,
and tolerance within the diverse population of our school, promote pride in our
community, create a safe environment for all students with particular emphasis
on gender identity, gender expression and sexual identity.
3. Provide a supportive
environment for sharing of ideas and concerns.
