Join the Impact Massachusetts to protest June 23 DNC fundraiser at Fenway Park

by: Pam Spaulding

Sun Jun 21, 2009 at 18:02:29 PM EDT

If you're in the area and want to make your voices heard, here are the details:

2nd DNC Fundraiser to be Protested in Boston on June 23rd

--  LGBT community expresses outrage --

BOSTON, Mass. (June 21st, 2009) - The Obama administration's decision to file a legal brief in support of the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA), in which same-sex marriage was compared to incestuous and underage marriage, has prompted widespread outrage from the LGBT community.

One of the many responses taken has been to boycott an LGBT fundraiser for the DNC on June 25th in Washington, D.C. as well as the threat of protest the day of.  The number of gay donors who say they will skip the fundraiser is rising as the president remains silent about the brief that has troubled the LGBT community.  

...The tactic of protesting DNC fundraisers is now spreading.  Another DNC fundraiser will be held in Boston on June 23rd at Fenway Park starting at 5pm.  Join The Impact MA and local activists plan to protest in front of the entrance from 4:30pm till 5pm to bring awareness to the lack of Congressional and Presidential action on LGBT rights and particularly to the egregious DOMA legal brief.

"Quite frankly, our community has gained more in the past 6 days than we have in the past 6 months due to public criticism and the threat of protest.  If these are the only actions that our leaders respond to, then it's the actions we'll take.  We strongly urge President Obama and the Democrats in Congress to follow through on their promises of LGBT equality and most especially to take swift, concrete action on repealing DOMA." said Paul Sousa, co-chair of Join The Impact MA.

JTI MA Facebook page:

Host: JOIN THE IMPACT MASSACHUSETTS
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Time: 4:15pm - 5:00pm
Location: Fenway Park: Gate B Entrance
Street: Corner of Van Ness St. and Ipswich St.
City/Town: Boston, MA

As we've all seen, we've gotten more in the past 6 days for the LGBT community than we have in the past 6 months. Once this firestorm of criticism and public pressure began over the repugnant DOMA brief, we began hearing that the Hate Crimes bill may pass very soon. Then once the boycotting began of the DNC fundraiser in Washington, DC, we then learned about the relocation benefits memorandum which seemed to be a direction reaction to the boycott.

Money talks folks and we have a HUGE opportunity here. Putting on this protest will be emblematic of a larger issue at hand for the Obama administration and the Dems. No longer is the protest singled out just in Washington, DC, but now they're spreading. If the Obama administration and the Dems want to tamper down frustrations, the only way for them to do so will be to take concrete strong action to pass substantive LGBT civil rights measures. Let's make them do it!

Paul's email: sousa.plm@gmail.com

Regarding the DC protest on Friday, there is a Facebook page here.