The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.60/No.38           October 28, 1996 
 
 
Morgantown Socialists Help Initiate Protest Of Defense Of Marriage Act  

BY ESTELLE DEBATES

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -The recent bipartisan passage of the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans recognition of same-sex marriage, prompted two public protests here. Outraged by the measure, participants in a September 20 Militant Labor Forum decided to invite others to a protest planning meeting a few days later. The forum featured a talk by Dennis Richter, Socialist Workers candidate for West Virginia governor, who spoke out against the anti-working class measure.

Armed with a giant neon banner reading "Civil Rights for Gays and Lesbians" and stacks of informational leaflets, some 25 protesters took to the streets of downtown Morgantown September 27 during rush hour. Many participants were high school and West Virginia University students. Nearly everyone there said that this was the first time they had ever been to a demonstration.

The banner caught everyone's attention. Most of the participants made their own signs such as "Equal rights for all, do you want the government in your bedroom?" and "Say no to intolerance." Protesters were greeted with many gestures of support when "Honk if you support the cause" signs were held up next to the banner.

Meanwhile, several protesters fanned out to talk with people and distribute a one-page statement. "This bill attacks the homosexual community... yet this is not just a `gay' issue," said the statement.

"Denying a subset of our society the rights the rest enjoy, threatens the freedom of all.... This bill reeks of the miscegenation laws that once prohibited inter-racial marriage. Like those, it invades our private lives."

The protest wrapped up with a march up and down the length of the downtown business district. Protesters chanted and passed out leaflets. In addition to a statement the leaflet also invited others to join in a speak-out the following Thursday.

Some of the organizers had expressed concern that anti-gay elements might attack the protest, but the response was overwhelmingly supportive. Prominent coverage of the protest was given by WBOY-TV and in the WVU student newspaper, The Daily Athenaeum.

The action did, however, draw fire from local politician Eric Blass. He told the campus newspaper, "They want special rights that others don't have, civil rights shouldn't be based on who you sleep with." He went on to say that accepting gay marriage could lead to protection for gay couples in such areas as housing, forcing landlords to rent to gay couples.

A rapid-fire response to Blass's attack was published in the campus paper. The author, protest organizer Jenny Bellars, pointed out that the protest was for equal rights under the law for all, and that she saw nothing wrong with forcing anti-gay landlords to rent to gay couples.

Around fifteen people attended the October 5 speak-out. Among those participating was Socialist Workers candidate for U.S. vice president Laura Garza. She urged people to join the October 12 demonstration for immigrants rights in Washington, D.C., as part of continuing to organize against the government's stepped up attacks against all working people. Five young people came to the local campaign headquarters after the event to talk with the candidate.  
 
 
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