11/07/2005
In Austin, a Showdown Between Protesters and the KKK
A same-sex marriage ban in Texas is likely to pass in Tuesday's election with the help of low voter turnout, anti-gay campaigns by the KKK, Republicans, and leaders of the black and Hispanic communities.
Over the weekend a rally was held by the KKK in front of Austin's City Hall. Seven Klan members along with five supporters turned out and were met by over 3,000 counter-protesters.
Speaking for Jesus, the Texas Klan Grand Dragon said, "Jesus loves gay people and wants them to repent. Texans will vote for Proposition 2 not because the Klan supports it, but because there are enough people with a sense of morality to not let this happen."
Rick A. Ross, an expert who monitors white supremacy groups, told the Houston Chronicle that the dwindling numbers of the KKK requires them to find hot button causes to latch on to: "I would say the Klan is perhaps politically astute in perceiving that there is a palpable pool of sentiment against the gay community amongst conservative Christians and others who feel threatened by the gay rights movement. That's how I see staging in particular anti-gay rallies as opposed to racist rallies or zeroing in on another minority group that they feel may not be as advantageous or as lucrative."
A cadre of 200 police officers, some in riot gear, kept the public a block away from the Klan in all directions, according to the Associated Press.
Proposition 2, which would declare marriage between one man and one woman goes before Texas voters on Tuesday.
On Friday, a judge in Oregon upheld a gay marriage ban in that state.
Posted 9:26 AM EST by Andy Towle in Gay Marriage | Permalink
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This one is being overly analyzed. The ban would pass without low voter turnout or any machinations by the KKK or dumb, homophobic Repugnants, blacks, or Hispanics and too many dumb democrats. ["Stupidity is a choice. Being gay is not." - Eric Marcus.] It would pass because it is Texas, and despite the many good people there they are vastly outnumbered by troglodytes. Kudos to those who continue to fight the good fight, but the state that believed Karl Rove's smear of Ann Richards as a lesbian, that chose George Bush as their governor [similar but not entirely analagous to his White House wins] will be among the very last states to ever change their collective attitudes about gays. It's still an uphill battle in the most liberal states. One lesbian sheriff does not a transformation make. Good Texans, gay and nongay, are in for many more years, many more votes of disappointment.
Posted by: Leland | Nov 7, 2005 10:38:54 AM
OMG....I actually agree with you Leland.
:)
Posted by: Damon | Nov 7, 2005 11:36:18 AM
Or am I confusing with some gay conservative?
Posted by: Damon | Nov 7, 2005 11:37:06 AM
Wow, once again Leland and I are on the same page. Mark this down in the history books because it doesn't happen often...even though my love for Leland is never minimized ;)
Of course it's going to pass...this IS Texas after all, and not just any old Texas, but Bush's Texas. Rick Perry is still leading in the pre-polls for the 2006 Governor's race even though he's been holding press conferences and signing laws into effect inside Evangelical Churches. Seperation of Church and State?? Not in Texas my friends. The state IS the Church for the most parts.
Yes, there are bright spots, and some day this state will move into the 21st century, but it's not going to happen tomorrow, or next year, or the year after that.
I still live here, I proudly call Texas my home, but I don't agree with much that goes on in state politics.
When Tom Delay can pick and choose his judge, you know things are fairly messed up.
Pray for us!
Posted by: Wayne | Nov 7, 2005 11:37:26 AM
As a fair-minded Texan, I still have a small amount of hope that the ban might actually be defeated. I would note, tho, that for a constitutional amendment election, turnout is actually pretty strong, with the numbers exceeding the turnout for the tort reform elections in 2003, which had millions of dollars in advertising behind them.
Posted by: Harriet Miers' Law Partner | Nov 7, 2005 11:45:54 AM
I live in Texas and I am sorry to say that I believe Leland will be correct. It is not even 1:00 pm, the day before the election and I have had FIVE phone calls making sure I was voting for proposition 2. I wish I could catch one of those callers and give them some Texas whoop-ass.
Posted by: Mark | Nov 7, 2005 1:52:13 PM
Five phone calls in half a day? Mindboggling. More evidence that while the gay community overall was becoming more complacent and passive the extremists were becoming more organized, more active, more obsessed. A year and five days after Bush's second coup, we are even worse off. Sure there are pockets of resistance, and El Primo himself barely has his nose above water in approval polls, but none of it is related to us. He still gets away with talking about spreading freedom abroad while denying it to select citizens at home. Most of those, black and white, Dem and Repub, who rightly praised Rosa Parks last week were not including us when they talked about the importance of civil liberties, civil rights. But as long as we're talking about voting: I hope everyone who lives in California will go to the polls tomorrow and kick Arnold's ass.
Posted by: Leland | Nov 7, 2005 2:15:14 PM
Omg! I go to UT Austin and ive seen that girl around campus soooo many times. I think she actually rides my bus. How rare.
Posted by: barto | Nov 13, 2005 1:47:48 AM