ATLANTA-DontAmend Atlanta, working with DontAmend.Com, is sponsoring an equal rights rally on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14, 2004. Local co-endorsers include the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus; Karla Drenner, openly gay Georgia Representative; Gentle Spirit Christian Church; Georgia Equality; Grace Church; Morehouse College Chapter of Safe Space; Trans=Action; Unity Fellowship; the University of Georgia Lambda Alliance and the University of Georgia Stonewall Students.
A "Valentines Day of Action Rally" is being organized for the Atlanta area and is set to take place on Saturday, February 14, 2004, to coincide with rallies scheduled to take place in cities and towns across the nation. The Atlanta rally will take place at the Georgia State Capitol, on the steps of the Washington Street side, starting at 12 noon. The rally will include speakers and entertainment provided by the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and others. The purpose of the Valentine’s Day Action Rally is to express opposition to the "Federal Marriage Amendment" to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the attempt to amend the Georgia State Constitution. As well as protesting the proposed amendments, the rally will celebrate and call for marriage equality for all people. The rally also strives to be a demonstration to the world that the LGBT community is comprised of your neighbors, teachers, mechanics, lawyers, and every day law-abiding and tax–paying citizens. Rev. Paul Turner, one of the organizers, states “We cannot, we must not, and we will not tolerate as a community being considered and treated as second class citizens.”
History has shown that mobilizing people around the truth has always won civil rights. Bradley Smith, another organizer for the rally says “The current cry to defend the ‘sanctity of marriage’ reeks of hypocrisy. Most LGBT people do not want the type of ‘marriage’ that has been modeled by many of our heterosexual counterparts.” Our cry is for no less than full and equal benefits of marriage for all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans.
DontAmend Atlanta calls on LGBT people and their allies to join together on this day and show the members of our society nationwide that same sex couples deserve the same legal marriage rights that all heterosexual couples enjoy by law. The Team of DontAmend Atlanta.
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