Students Rally To Protest Prop. 8

Waiving colorful signs declaring “Love, not H8,” dozens of Harvard students joined roughly 4,000 people gathered in front of Boston City Hall Saturday to protest the recent passing of Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriage approved by California voters two weeks ago.

The Boston rally was part of a national effort of protests on Saturday led by LBGTQ rights group Join the Impact in opposition to the ban.

Although few Harvard students at the weekend rally were native Californians—and many were international students—participants said Proposition 8 has universal implications.

“A threat to rights anywhere is a threat to rights everywhere,” said Elizabeth B. Hadaway ’09, while riding with a group of Quad students on the subway to the rally.

Tsotso T. Ablorh ’10 also praise the importance of protecting rights everywhere.

“Gay rights are important just like anyone’s rights are important,” Ablorh said while making a poster for Saturday’s rally. “People can’t deny rights that they think they should have themselves especially if it doesn’t impact them negatively.”

Not only did the issue of gay rights seem to transcend state-lines but international borders as well.

Guo T. “Colin” Teo ’12 said the Proposition 8 rally was his first protest.

“In Singapore it is illegal to protest,” Teo said. “Gay rights are completely under the radar.”

Other international students said they had seen the United States—and particularly California—as a beacon of change.

“A lot of changes originate here,” said Ioannis Kalogirou Valtis ’12, from Greece. “If it doesn’t start here, where will it?”

Although the rally focused mainly on Proposition 8, it also touched on other issues in gay rights, such as the Defense of Marriage Act, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, hate crimes legislation, and obstacles facing the transgender community. Featured speakers included U.S. Congressman Michael E. Capuano and U.S. Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, who called upon the crowd to take their energy and continue to press for change.