May 16, 2008
Dancing in the Streets
Quartknee in San Francisco writes:
San Francisco is having a very rare heat wave. It's almost never so close to 90 degrees in the shade in SF so when the temperature rises people are out prowling for a party. Add to that the State Supreme Court decision yesterday and it was a potent combo.
Dave & Jose (from Fag Fridays fame) spent much of the day getting permits and putting together a truck for music. They lined up three DJs and at about 5:30 the cops blocked off Castro Street between Market & 18th for a very impromptu street party. There must have been at least two or three thousand people there until they opened the streets to traffic again around 10:30. Of course, the party continued in the bars till the wee hours, but some of us have day jobs.
It was amazing to see such a diverse crowd cheering in the streets – men, women, and everything in between; kids of gay parents (bastards no more!), elderly couples, and every age in between; and many socio-economic backgrounds. Of course, there was an overabundance of news vans reporting live. Many of the people I spoke to had lots to say about personal marriage choices and the overall opinion seems to be that it's great to have options. A couple of people seem to think that marriage equality will somehow legitimize gay relationships and gay people in general – at least in straight minds. As far as I remember, the gay liberation movement of the '60s and '70s legitimized gay relationships and out gay people, so maybe this IS the next step in the evolution to full equality.
It is always truly uplifting and inspiring to see such spontaneous outbursts of authentic joy and happiness. This world could use more nights like these.
– Text and photos by Quartknee
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