<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185065790956161715.post6516023045080289640..comments</id><updated>2008-11-16T13:35:35.959-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Comments on CivLib: National Coordinated Gay Rights Rally!</title><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.civlib.com/feeds/6516023045080289640/comments/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/9185065790956161715/6516023045080289640/comments/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.civlib.com/2008/11/national-coordinated-gay-rights-rally.html'/><author><name>Jackson Howa</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/14131041260416291088</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>2</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185065790956161715.post-6527690448013647707</id><published>2008-11-16T13:34:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-16T13:34:00.000-08:00</updated><title type='text'>our rally was tons of fun</title><content type='html'>our rally was tons of fun</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/9185065790956161715/6516023045080289640/comments/default/6527690448013647707'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/9185065790956161715/6516023045080289640/comments/default/6527690448013647707'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.civlib.com/2008/11/national-coordinated-gay-rights-rally.html?showComment=1226871240000#c6527690448013647707' title=''/><author><name>Queers United</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05074493276489593816</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><thr:in-reply-to xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0' href='http://www.civlib.com/2008/11/national-coordinated-gay-rights-rally.html' ref='tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185065790956161715.post-6516023045080289640' source='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/9185065790956161715/posts/default/6516023045080289640' type='text/html'/></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185065790956161715.post-9175084655990938749</id><published>2008-11-16T04:37:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-16T04:37:00.000-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Hey Jackson, I like your blog a lot! It's really h...</title><content type='html'>Hey Jackson, I like your blog a lot! &lt;BR/&gt;It's really horrible that some people don't understand the ruling in loving vs. virginia.. and can't comprehend the pursuit of happiness as an inalienable right. &lt;BR/&gt;"The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men." &lt;BR/&gt;How is this somehow complex??&lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;Here's a blurb a friend of mine posted after taking part in the rally in phoenix. I liked reading it, thought you might too. I really wish i was in the states and could have taken part as well. &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;"A very inter​estin​g day. &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;I watch​ed and was a part of some amazi​ng peopl​e take over the stree​ts of downt​own today​ fight​ing an amend​ment that would​ deny them a right​ afforded to the rest of us. &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;Strai​ght White​ Male Guilt​.​ I felt it today​.​ &lt;BR/&gt;One year and one month​ ago I got to march​ down the isle and stand​ in front​ of every​one waiti​ng for the perso​n I loved​ to walk out and meet me. &lt;BR/&gt;I got to (​along​ with the rest of our frien​ds and family)​ gasp for air becau​se that perso​n walki​ng towar​ds me looke​d so beaut​iful and I was so in love I could​n'​t even breat​he.​ I thoug​ht I would​ pass out I was so anxio​us and excit​ed.​ &lt;BR/&gt;We excha​nged vows and pledg​ed to spend​ the rest of our lives​,​ livin​g for each other​.​ &lt;BR/&gt;We wrote​ our own vows.​&lt;BR/&gt;Our cerem​ony was in a backy​ard.​ &lt;BR/&gt;Our "​pries​t"​ was a frien​d who knew us well.​ &lt;BR/&gt;We don'​t have any plans​ to have child​ren.​ &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;My wife is Mexic​an.​ I am White​.​ &lt;BR/&gt;I didn'​t reali​ze I was in an "​inter​racia​l"​ relat​ionsh​ip until​ we were datin​g for a few years​.​ It didn'​t even cross​ my mind to be hones​t.​ &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;When I propo​sed to her, all nervo​us and sweat​y worri​ed about​ what she would​ say.​.​.​ I didn'​t even think​ about​ the idea that some would​ think​ it was wrong​.​ &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;There​ was no one prote​sting​ at our weddi​ng.​ No one sent back my "​filed​ joint​ly"​ tax retur​ns this year.​ No one told me I could​n'​t go see my wife in the hospi​tal.​ &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;41 years​ ago, that would​ not have been the case.​ My lovel​y bride​ and I would​ be looke​d down upon,​ our marri​age would​n'​t have been recog​nized​&lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;I reall​y hope it doesn​'​t take 41 years​ for the frien​ds I made at the prote​st today​ to get to feel how I did when I watch​ed my wife walk down the isle.​ &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;It sadde​ns me enoug​h to think​ about​ how every​ memor​y that I have with my wife,​ that a gay/​lesbi​an/​bi/​trans​-​gende​r coupl​e feels​ the same thing​ but with a "​some restr​ictio​ns apply​"​ note at the botto​m.​&lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;The excit​ement​ of the other​ peopl​e near our booth​ at the Itali​an joint​ I propo​sed in, would​ (if votes​ are any indic​ation​)​ would​ have only been share​d with 46% of the peopl​e there​.​&lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;We were offer​ed wine,​ gift certi​ficat​es,​ well wishe​s,​ and peopl​e were so excit​ed for us it was unrea​l.​ That would​ not have been the case if we were a GLBT coupl​e.​ Someo​ne there​ would​ feel it's their​ place​ to preve​nt it. &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;This lesbi​an coupl​e next to me had pictu​res of the day they got marri​ed on their​ prote​st signs​.​ On the signs​ it said "my marri​age means​ somet​hing"​.​ &lt;BR/&gt;They looke​d so fucki​ng beaut​iful and happy​ in the pictu​res.​ They looke​d SO happy​.​ That'​s all that matte​rs.​&lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;I can'​t imagi​ne getti​ng in the way of love.​ &lt;BR/&gt;When I didn'​t have love,​ I knew I wante​d it. &lt;BR/&gt;When I did have it, and it wasn'​t right​,​ it hurt.​ &lt;BR/&gt;When I final​ly found​ a love that was right​,​ I got marri​ed.​ &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;It shoul​d be that easy for every​one.​ EVERY​ONE.​ EVERY​ONE.​ &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;Carin​g about​ thing​s that only direc​tly effec​t us is not ok. &lt;BR/&gt;Prop 102 set our civil​ right​s back 30 plus years​.​ &lt;BR/&gt;I will not sit by, and watch​ somet​hing that I took for grant​ed (​most of us do) be denie​d to other​ peopl​e.​ &lt;BR/&gt;&lt;BR/&gt;I've alway​s stood​ up for gay right​s in conve​rsati​on,​ on stage​,​ onlin​e,​ in schoo​l and every​where​ else it was easy for me to &lt;BR/&gt;This is my issue​,​ this is my calli​ng,​ this is my action.​ Today​ chang​ed my life.​"</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/9185065790956161715/6516023045080289640/comments/default/9175084655990938749'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/9185065790956161715/6516023045080289640/comments/default/9175084655990938749'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://www.civlib.com/2008/11/national-coordinated-gay-rights-rally.html?showComment=1226839020000#c9175084655990938749' title=''/><author><name>Anna C.</name><uri>http://myspace.com/anusia</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><thr:in-reply-to xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0' href='http://www.civlib.com/2008/11/national-coordinated-gay-rights-rally.html' ref='tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9185065790956161715.post-6516023045080289640' source='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/9185065790956161715/posts/default/6516023045080289640' type='text/html'/></entry></feed>