10,000 Estimated at NYC Protest

The crowd size was estimated by protest organizers, so take it with a grain of salt, but it was a lot of people. Here's the AP's take on it:

NEW YORK (AP) — Carrying signs reading "Love not H8" and "Did you cast a ballot or a stone?", a large crowd of gay-marriage supporters gathered outside a Mormon temple to protest the church's endorsement of a same-sex marriage ban in California.

The rally Wednesday night outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple came hours after gay couples exchanged vows for the first time in Connecticut amid cheers and tears of joy.

The milestone did not ease the sting of a major loss for gay-marriage supporters last week. Gay activists planned protests across the country over the vote that took away their right to wed in California.

In the Upper West Side of Manhattan, demonstrators chanted "Shame on you!" outside the temple. Leaders of the Mormon church had encouraged members to support passage of California's Proposition 8, a referendum banning same-sex marriage.

"I'm fed up and disgusted with religious institutions taking political stances and calling them moral when it's nothing but politics," said Dennis Williams, 36. "Meanwhile they enjoy tax-free status while trying to deny me rights that should be mine at the state and federal level." Gay activists rally outside Mormon temple in NYC

I'll comment on that headline. I consider myself a gay activist, I'm referred to that way all the time. But I'm not gay. The polite term for somebody like me is "straight ally," but ever since the guy from PFOX referred to me as a sodomite, I kind of like thinking of myself as an "honorary sodomite." It just sounds like more fun to me, don't you think? Gee, I hope I don't alienate anybody.

When the AP says there were 10,000 gay activists, I don't know how many of them were actually gay, a lot of straight people are upset by these anti-gay votes, too. It's just a kind of embarrassment to our society and our country, and it's time to call an end to it.

As far as 10,000 "activists," well I guess if they got off their butts and took it to the streets that makes them activists by definition, right?

You can read a more personal report at Joe.My.God. Joe says:

NYC's first marriage equality rally/protest was a smashing success as a crowd estimated at 10,000 - 15,000 jammed the plaza across from the Manhattan Mormon Temple before taking over Broadway and marching to Columbus Circle. Major celebrities showed their support, dozens of television crews did interviews, news helicopters hovered overhead, and in general it was just an overwhelming show of force. However the evening news is already teasing the story as "about a thousand people showed up."

He has photographs and video, too, from the scene. There were lots of celebrities and good signs. Follow that link, it's cool.

I can't remember where I read this, but I did see an explanation about how the NYC demonstration was largely orchestrated through Facebook.

In Montgomery County, there will be a demonstration at the Mormon Temple in Kensington Saturday at 1:30. Read about it all HERE.

I think this situation has reached its tipping point.