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Protests at Atlanta malls call for equal rights

By Project Q Atlanta | Dec 15, 2008 | 2:59 PM

About 50 gay and lesbian protestors marched through a busy intersection on Saturday afternoon to call attention to marriage equality.

“All I Want for Christmas is Equal Rights” was the second day of action in metro Atlanta since California voters approved Proposition 8. The measure overturned a court ruling allowing same-sex marriage. The Nov. 4 vote in California sparked protests across the country, including two events in metro Atlanta that attracted an estimated 1,500 people to the State Capitol and a candlelight vigil that drew hundreds to the intersection of Piedmont Avenue and 10th Street. The grassroots protests were organized by Join the Impact.

On Saturday, organizers behind the Nov. 15 events staged the rally outside the busy Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza during the holiday shopping rush. Their chants received honks from passing motorists and occasional arguments from drivers stopped at traffic lights.

“The goal is to vocalize and unify the LGBT community in Atlanta,” says Jeff Schade, one of the organizers rally. “We are trying to encourage people to just stand up for their rights They’ve just been trampled on, especially in Georgia for the past coupe of years.”

The small crowd, which contrasted the response to the Nov. 15 events in Atlanta, didn’t dissuade organizers.

“The fact the we have people out here and we’re getting response from the public is great,” Schade says.

View the Project Q Atlanta photo album from the event.

View the photo album from the Nov. 15 rally at the State Capitol and the candlelight vigil in Midtown.

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