Day Without a Gay
By Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO
A daylong work stoppage for which people were encouraged to call in “gay” to express support for same-sex marriage drew spotty participation Wednesday, December 10, with some gay rights activists praising the event and others questioning its value.
People who opted to take the day off from their jobs as part of the national “Day Without a Gay” were encouraged to perform community service, and charitable organizations across the country said they had volunteers showing up.
The protest, which a gay couple from West Hollywood organized through the Internet, was designed to demonstrate the economic clout of same-sex marriage supporters following the passage of voter-approved gay marriage bans in California, Arizona and Florida last month.
Participants also were asked to refrain from spending money or at least to patronize gay-friendly businesses for the day.
In San Francisco’s gay Castro district, several residents and merchants said they endorsed the cause but did not think a work stoppage or spending boycott was practical, given the poor economy and how quickly the strike was organized.
David Lang, 44, a San Francisco gymnastics coach who said he conceived of a similar idea right after the election, said he thinks a coordinated job action would have been more successful if organizers had enlisted support from sympathetic employers, labor groups and industries.
Out and Equal Workplace Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit group that promotes equality for gay and lesbian employees, suggested that gay marriage supporters could send an effective message beyond Wednesday by openly discussing the issue at their workplaces.
The organization was encouraging gay people who could not miss work to be open about their sexual orientation with co-workers and urging straight employees to speak up when they hear colleagues making homophobic jokes.
Berry noted that only 20 states have laws to protect workers from being fired for being gay, making lesbians and gays reluctant to reveal themselves to co-workers in most jurisdictions.
Backers of “Day Without a Gay” organized evening rallies in San Francisco, Austin, Tex., Logan, Utah, and other cities so supporters could gather to discuss the next steps. Rallies also were held earlier Wednesday in Chicago and on several college campuses in California.
“The movement that fought for equality and succeeded in electing Obama president is really looking to make progressive gains now,” said Mark Airgood, who used a personal day to take off from his job as a middle school teacher in Berkeley. “I think we really can, and I think this is an important day for that.”