“What do we want? Marriage equality. When do we want it? Now!”
About 75 gay-marriage supporters from all over Pennsylvania came for the first Statewide Rally for Equality. They listened to speeches and marched around the Capitol building waving rainbow flags and carrying “Equality Now” signs.
The rally comes on the cusp of what could be a watershed moment in the debate oversame-sex marriage. Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on cases that could broadly expand the rights of gay Americans to marry.
The event also was designed to support state legislation (Pa. House and Senate Bills 300, Pa. House Bill 719 and Pa. House Bill 156) which would provide marriage equality and an end to discrimination and bullying in the LGBT community.
Dawn Sears, 29, and Jen Morley, 36, drove four and a half hours from Warren, Pa., for the marriage equality rally for one simple reason.
“So we can get married,” Morley said. “That’s what it comes down to. We want to have kids and be married before that.”
The couple has been together for almost two years. This was Sears’ first rally, but Morley has been to a few others, including the Millennium March in Washington D.C. about 13 years ago. This rally was a bit different from the others she has been to because it was the first one in which she didn’t see any protesters.
“I was shocked,” she said. “I anticipated somebody. I was ready to go. I had backup bible quotes ready to battle with them, but I didn’t have to. That’s a good thing.”
Morley and Sears said they were also surprised by the turnout, which was fewer than 100.
"I was disappointed that more people didn't come out," Morley said. "But I don't think it's a matter of people not wanting to come. Lives are busy."
Though the rally was small in number, the group seemed to have plenty of supporters on the streets. Many cars honked their horns and waved to the crowd to show their support during the rally.
Katie Somers, one of the rally organizers, said that she wasn't expecting a crowd.
"It's not about the number of people," she said. "It's about being unified and having unity in the community."
Sixteen speakers spoke at the rally included Harrisburg City Controller Dan Miller, Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Hanger, members of Marriage Equality for Pennsylvania and members of the Capital Region Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Somers said that it was a group effort to bring a wide variety of speakers. All gubernatorial candidates were requested, but only Hanger came.
Miller came to the rally as a gay activist, and still is deciding if he will continue his campaign in Harrisburg's mayor's race. After losing in the Democratic mayoral primary to Eric Papenfuse last month, Miller won enough votes to be the Republican nominee but has yet to decide if he will do so. When asked about it Saturday, he said he had not made up his mind.
“One of the main reasons to be an openly gay elected official is to push equal rights,” Miller said. “Gays aren’t second class citizens. If they can be elected officials and positive role models, they can help to educate the public about the importance of equal rights.”
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