Hundreds Protest Anti- Gay Church

Ann Llewellyn McKenzie | 1925-2009 An Era Draws to Close with the Passing of Gay Rights Pioneer Ann McKenzie Baltimore’s lgbt community is mourning TOWSON—An hour before the planned protest by representatives of the Westboro Bap- loss of one of the city’s most vocal equal Hundreds tist Church on March 30, there was relative quiet. An occasional airplane flew overhead, rights advocates. Ann Llewellyn McKen- and the sound of the chilly wind gusts whipping through the leafless branches of the trees zie, 83, died March 27 at the Seasons that surround Towson High School briefly interrupted the serenity. Hospice in Randallstown of complications Protest Anti- The thousand or so students at the 60 year-old, brick and stone, 3-story structure from emphysema. A Baltimore attorney were still in their classes anticipating the final bell. But it was not a normal school day on and business owner for more than five this particular Monday. decades, Ms McKenzie suffered from a gay Church Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, which is notorious for its anti-gay, anti- variety of health issues in recent years, American vitriol and led by its patriarch flame-thrower, Fred Phelps, chose Towson High yet remained an important voice for lgbt By Steve Charing -- continued on page 3 equality up until her death. More than a decade before the 1969 Stonewall riot in New York, McKenzie had already made a name for herself in the Iowa Supreme Court with the recent movement by statehous- Lambda Legal filed suit with the Polk legal community as a vocal advocate for es across the nation to advance pro- County Court in December 2005 on be- reform of the state’s discriminatory laws Grants Same-Sex Couples marriage bills shows that the tide has half of six same-sex couples and their against gay sex. At a time when many law- Right To Marry finally turned in support of the freedom children after the couples were denied yer’s refused to represent gay people, Ann to marry.” marriage licenses. provided legal representation to hundreds Des Moines, IA – A unanimous Iowa In reaching its decision, the court “Like the Iowa justices who coura- of men arrested during an era when city Supreme Court ruled on April 3 that said, “Our responsibility … is to protect geously made Iowa a legal haven for police routinely arrested gay men on petty the state could no longer bar same-sex constitutional rights of individuals from desegregation and equality nearly a charges as a routine form of harassment. couples from marriage. Iowa is the first legislative enactments that have denied century before the federal government Born in Oxford, NC on December mid-western state to legalize same-sex those rights, even when the rights have did so and who issued pioneering deci- 18, 1925, she was the only daughter of marriage. not yet been broadly accepted, were at sions advancing the rights of women, the Clement and Ruth Llewellyn. Growing “The Iowa Supreme Court has given one time unimagined, or challenge a court today showed the world that Iowa up in Concord, NC where as a young girl an incredibly well reasoned explanation deeply ingrained practice or law viewed is again among the leaders in America’s she started working in her father’s law of- for why our constitutional principles of to be impervious to the passage of quest for justice and fairness,” said Ben fice – beginning a lifelong interest in the fairness and equality simply will not per- time.” Stone, Executive Director of the ACLU of law. Ann attended the University of North mit us to continue to deny lesbian and The case, Varnum, v. Brien, upholds Iowa. Carolina, eventually earning a law degree. gay couples the right to marry,” com- an August 2007 decision by an Iowa dis- Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of At the time of her graduation, Ann was al- mented, ACLU lgbt project director Matt trict court that it was unconstitutional the Religious Action Center of Reform ready a licensed attorney in NC, having Coles “This unanimous decision coupled to deny marriage to same-sex couples. -- continued on page 38 completed a two-year apprenticeship in -- continued on page 19 2 q BALTIMORE OUTLOUD April 10, 2009 | baltimoreoutloud.com OUTSPOKEN Youth Are Showing Us the Way Publisher Mike Chase [email protected] By Steve Charing Executive Editor Jim Becker The burst of energy displayed by the young [email protected] people who participated in the protest of Sales the homophobic, Kansas-based Westboro Mary Taylor, Director Baptist Church on March 30 was breathtak- [email protected] ing. They demonstrated against the Fred Managing Editor Phelps-led hatemongers who had marked Steve Charing Towson High School for its Diversity Club Leather Editor and Gay-Straight Alliance. Phelps, himself, Rodney Burger was absent, but a handful of his family members brandishing ab- Writers surd, hate-filled slogans on their familiar placards did the deed. Jeffrey Clagett Chuck Duncan Aside from students from the targeted school, kids from oth- Rickie Green er high schools in the area as well as local colleges voiced their Eva Hersh MD opposition to hate. And they did it loud and clear. Even straight Doug Ireland “jocks” from Towson High School—a group that in years past P.S. Lorio Jim Lucio wouldn’t ordinarily be expected to join forces with the pro-lgbt Meredith Moise demonstrators—supported the cause openly. Ben Ryland While other groups participated, such as PFLAG, church or- Youth demonstrating at Prop 8 protest. Nate Sweeney ganizations and an assortment of adults bent on social justice, MIA - Alexander St. John the youth stole the show. They enthusiastically cheered at each Graphics Hannah-Love Shibley, Director passing car that honked its horn in support. They shouted down peers. [email protected] the Westboro clan on the other side of York Road. They publicly The gay element eventually played a subordinate role when Carol Baker voiced their opposition against hate and expressed their affir- other weighty matters took over, like how one of the cast mem- Bryan Sullivan mation towards love and equality. They support gay rights in all bers was facing an uncertain future as he was recalled for an- Photographers forms and did so with fervor. other tour of duty in Iraq. Skip Koritzer All told, around 300 people overwhelmed the 6 Westboro As the episodes rolled along each week, the ultimate con- Harry Lowinger crazies both in numbers and passion. flicts weren’t between gay and straight and straight and trans- National Advertising Rivendell Media Back in November, there was a nationwide protest of the gender or even gay and transgender; they existed among each 908-232-2021 passage of Proposition 8 in California. Locally, a thousand peo- other regardless of who they were. Gay, bisexual, transgender? ple gathered outside Baltimore’s City Hall on a rain-threatened Oh yeah, so what. Web Services Drew Saine Saturday to plea for marriage equality and express their outrage This is the attitude that is prevailing among young people [email protected] aimed at the California results. today. A straight kid may argue with a gay kid, but odds are, it Distribution/Circulation There were many adults there to be sure, and a significant has nothing to do with sexuality. Conflicts centered on sexual Jay Loane number of them were straight allies. But there were also plenty of orientation do exist, of course, but to a lesser degree. [email protected] college students who descended upon the War Memorial Plaza Of course, there still are incidents of bullying and epithets in clusters from all directions like an invading army. Waving col- like “that’s so gay” in schools. But the trend is definitely moving Baltimore OUTloud orful hand-made posters displaying pointed messages, these in a favorable direction. P.O. Box 3640, Baltimore, MD 21214 410-244-6780 youthful protestors surprised even veterans of demonstrations Politicians would be smart to take notice of these shifting www.baltimoreoutloud.com of yore with their verve and commitment. attitudes. The youth have been swelling the voter ranks and af- The center of gravity for lgbt politics and activism is steadily fecting elections. The Obama phenomenon brought more young Additional Information shifting to the youth. This is not just manifested by the increas- people into the political process than any time since the 1960’s. Baltimore OUTloud is published every other Friday by Pride ing number of young lgbt people who are coming out at a faster Elected officials who experience trepidation about support- Media, Ltd. in Baltimore, Maryland. Readers’ comments and unsolicited materials are welcomed and may be sent rate than in previous generations. It has been bolstered by an ing equality based on gender identity or are skittish about con- to: [email protected]. | Pride Media offices astounding number of youth who simply shrug off the existence ferring rights to same-sex couples are doing so at their peril. The are located at 1120 N. Charles Street, 4R, Baltimore, 21201. of lgbt people as no big deal. old-time attitudes are dying off. The new generation of kids—gay | All materials appearing in this newspaper are the property of Pride Media, Ltd. and may not be reproduced without the Although much of these changing attitudes by straight youth and straight—will show us the way and those backward-thinking written permission of the editor. can be attributed to their expanding exposure to lgbt peers, the politicians the door. more welcoming culture with which these people are in tune, reinforces their beliefs. For example, the role MTV has played Steve Charing’s OUTspoken blog is at www.SteveCharing.

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