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Capitol rally winds down
Posted at: Monday, March 1, 2004, 02:27 PM
As the Georgia General Assembly reconvened Monday afternoon to reconsider a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, more than a thousand Georgians vigorously exercised their right to free speech.
Though the invective was heated at times, police reported no major incidents or injuries.
Police officers used Washington Street, and about 10 police cars, to divide the protesters and supporters of the proposed amendment that gathered. Reporters at the scene estimated estimated the gay rights crowd as numbering about 700 people and the pro-amendment gathering at 1,500 to 2,000.
The crowd was not shy.
“This is not just a gay issue. It’s about amending a constitution. That is a drastic action and shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Beth Kirch, a placement director at the University of Georgia Law School. “It shouldn’t be taken lightly. It shouldn’t be a symbolic act. It shouldn’t be a political strategy to bring out a certain group of people to vote.”
“There are a lot of Christians here today who say no to this amendment … real Christians,” added Kirch, who said she was heterosexual.
Zack Baxter, of Marietta, had a different opinion.
“I am here to support God,” Baxter said. “I want to make sure the sewers of sodomy don’t get in my yard.”
Baxter, on the Capitol side of the street with other supporters of the amendment, yelled, “You hate God!” at his opponents. A nearby sign said “Homo Sex is a Sin.”
A 13-year-old girl told gays they were going to hell. Two Boy Scouts held signs railing against gay marriage.
“Look at them,” said Robert Janssen, of Atlanta. “They look like Hitler Youth.”
Marianne Seggerman said she was disturbed by all of the religious vitriol.
“I came into the gay rights movement as a result of my faith,” said the Roman Catholic. “I’m sadden by the young people that they are bringing down here.
Across the street from the Capitol at Talmadge Square, Katheryn Preston and Freda Bonaparte snacked on fast food while watching the demonstrations. The two women work for the Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness and were at the Capitol to meet with the Cobb County delegation to discuss funding issues.
“We’re sitting here taking notes,” said Preston, 52, of Marietta. “It’s an incredible movement. We wish we could get our folks so organized around homeless issues and concerns.”
Shortly before noon, several busloads of church groups from across the state arrived at the Capitol, unloading conservatively-dressed Christians who immediately encountered gay-rights activists as they approached the Capitol steps.
Ann Goff and several of her neighbors from Waycross traveled 240 miles to attend the rally in support of traditional marriage.
“I believe God instituted marriage between a man and a woman,” Goff said. “Those are His laws. I don’t think it’s in man’s place to change those laws. We’re making a choice here to either follow God’s way or man’s way. God can not bless a nation that is not obedient to Him.”
Goff, who attends Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, said her view is not intended to be hateful or discriminatory toward gays and lesbians. Goff said she believes that “recognizing homosexuality as a sin is not equivalent to discounting the person’s worth.”
At other times, however, the showdown between gay rights activists and supporters of the constitutional ban became much more testy.
As opponents of the proposed amendment sang “America the Beautiful,” a supporter of the gay marriage ban waved a sign that said, “Three Gay rights: AIDS, Hell, Salvation.”
Another sign said, “All queers will burn in hell unless they repent.”
A man speaking with a microphone and loudspeaker ended the pro-amendment portion of the rally.
“If God is going to let you into heaven, he is going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah for burning those cities to the ground. Do you think God is going to apologize? … It makes him want to vomit when he looks down here and sees that,” he said as he pointed across the street at the anti-amendment contingent.
Chris Graham, pastor of Church of the Savior in Roswell, while listening to the closing remarks, said the issue was not a religious matter, but one of civil liberties. “The constitution should not be used to enshrine or codify discrimination,” he said. “This issue has already been decided in Fortune 500 boardrooms.”
— Cameron McWhirter, Milo Ippolito, Ernie Suggs, Etan Horowitz, Mae Gentry, Steve Visser, ajc.com
Permalink | Categories: Gay Marriage Ban
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