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I went to the Prop 8 Protest on Dupont Circle last night and took some pictures. To my eye there were just shy of 300 people, which I think is pretty good for a drizzly night on short notice. NBC 4’s count of “several hundred” was pretty imprecise but doesn’t conflict with my estimate.
Shooting was a challenge, given the poor light and cruddy weather, though there were many people taking shots. After-dark outdoor protests aren’t real media-friendly, but that didn’t stop a number of locals from standing on the edge of the fountain and talking. Council member Phil Mendelson was among them, as was DC For Marriage’s Michael Crawford.
Despite the impetus of the event being the California Supreme Court ruling much of the talk was oriented on the future and marriage equality in the DC area.
Which brings me to this: As a “straight ally” on this issue I have just one request. From this point forward can we please stop putting “Prop 8” in the rallying names of these events and have “marriage equality” or “spousal rights” events instead? We’re not in California and are not CA constituents. Florida’s Amendment 2 passed on the same day, so why keep titling these things for California’s particular flavor of folly?