Outraged & Angry Black Gays Stage Third Day of Demonstrations and Protest Marches Against Alleged White Gay Racism & Marriage for Gays

DALLAS, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/17/2004 -- The Abe Lincoln Black Republican Caucus (ALBRC), a civic group of young Black gay, bisexual and "down lo" males is conducting the third day of demonstrations and protest marches against alleged White Gay Racism in Dallas, Texas and America. The protest march for today is being held in downtown Dallas at the site of the Kennedy Memorial. Spokespersons for the ALBRC state that the protest march will begin at 2:00 p.m. central time.

"It is an international disgrace and an affront to every Black man, woman and child in the United States for the Massachusetts' Supreme Court to start marriage for gays on the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education Decision," stated Don Sneed, the political mentor for the ALBRC and a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (Bush Appointee). "I am sick and tired of seeing the white gay rights movement continue to hijack the Black civil rights movement and make these situations one and the same," stated Anthony Falls, Chairman of the ALBRC and recently elected the first Black openly gay Republican Precinct Chairman in Texas.

Today's protest and demonstration comes on the heels of the first demonstration which took place on Friday afternoon through the heart of the white gay community in Dallas; the Oak Lawn Crossroads area. About twenty Black SGLs marched through the predominately white gay community, shouting. This was apparently in reference to the astounding disparity in AIDS Relief funding in the Dallas area. Black citizens in Dallas County comprise 45% of all AIDS cases yet Black organizations, providing AIDS relief, only receive 7% of the 20 million dollars in federal funds coming into the county this fiscal year. "White gay clubs in Dallas, and throughout America, have the audacity to have 'Negro night' once a week (a designated night when Blacks are welcomed in white gay clubs) in the 21st Century. How much more racist and disrespectful can you be," asked Adrian Harris, Vice Chairman of the ALBRC.


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Local Same-Sex Couples Will Try For Licenses

OMAHA, Neb. -- Monday, several gay and lesbian couples said they will attempt to apply for a marriage license at the Douglas County Courthouse. Nebraska state law requires county officials to deny the application, but the couples will make the attempt in support of a law change that took effect in Massachusetts Monday.

In November, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that gay and lesbian couples should have the right to marry. The deadline the court set was midnight May 17. More than 260 gay and lesbian couples gathered at the Cambridge, Mass., city hall to apply for marriage, many of them arrived hours before the doors opened.

In Omaha, Revs. Barbara Sagat and Sharon Stover (pictured, left) have led the local charge for same sex marriage for years. They most recently attempted to get a marriage license in March.

One gay-rights advocate said the Massachusetts example will eventually influence other states.

"We've seen a steady improvement of people who support marriage equality for same-sex couples," said Evan Wolfson, with Freedom to Marry. "In '95-'96, it was as low as 27 percent of people supporting marriage equality. Now, we're in the high 30s and 40s depending on the poll and the day."


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State gears up for gay marriage battle
By Vesna Jaksic
Staff Writer

With Massachusetts starting to issue marriage licenses to gays today, proponents of same-sex marriage say they feel more confident than ever that Connecticut will soon follow suit, while opponents say a constitutional amendment may be needed to define marriage.

Since Massachusetts' highest court ruled in November that prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying violates the state constitution, gay activists said the movement for gay marriage has gained ground in Connecticut.

"People are getting married and people are celebrating that and that will bring momentum to the issue," said Betty Gallo, a lobbyist for Love Makes a Family, a statewide gay-rights coalition. "The one thing we found over the last four years that we've been talking about (gay) marriage in Connecticut is the more you talk about it the more people support it."

But opponents of same-sex marriage, including local legislators, were doubtful the Massachusetts ruling would affect what happens in Connecticut.


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Arizona men take same-sex marriage issue to state high court
Michael Kiefer
The Arizona Republic

While the nation's attention focuses on fanfare in Massachusetts, where same-sex couples will be allowed to legally marry today because of a November decision by that state's Supreme Judicial Court, a similar case is quietly knocking at the doors of the Arizona Supreme Court.

"I think we're below the radar," said Tod Keltner, who with his longtime partner, Don Standhardt, has petitioned the high court to overturn an appeals-court decision.

The media have focused on the mass weddings in San Francisco and Portland, Ore., and will be flocking to Massachusetts today.

"We're from Arizona," Keltner said. "We're Arizona natives. We don't live in Massachusetts, we want our rights here."