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Queer Activists Charged with Felonies for Joining Gay Pride Parade
Queer activists were
Yesterday afternoon, six queer activists were arrested for protesting the inclusion of straight conservative city supervisor Gavin Newsom in the Gay Pride Parade. The activists attempted to join the march carrying a banner that read “Queer Mutiny-Not Consumer Unity,” highlighting the mayoral candidate’s growing track record of preying upon marginalized communities to gain support from wealthy constituents.
These activists are now being held on ludicrous felony charges just two days after publicly decrying Newsom’s policies in the annual Gay Shame Awards. All six activists are being held without bail and are facing felony charges of Threatening a Public Official, Felony Conspiring to Threaten a Public Official, & Felony Conspiracy to commit a Crime, with at least one activist receiving an additional misdemeanor charge of obstructing or resisting a public officer.
This is clearly a gross attempt to demonize peaceful demonstrators, and is ironic in that the only ones to behave violently at all were first Newsom’s staff and then the police themselves. What was intended as a small, peaceful, spontaneous act of expression will quickly become a nightmare of legal fees and bureaucratic wrangling if these absurd charges are not dropped immediately. Gay Shame is asking that everyone call the D.A.’s office and request that he drop all charges, and that the prisoners be released with time served, so that the victims may return to their jobs and friends and families and lives.
These activists are now being held on ludicrous felony charges just two days after publicly decrying Newsom’s policies in the annual Gay Shame Awards. All six activists are being held without bail and are facing felony charges of Threatening a Public Official, Felony Conspiring to Threaten a Public Official, & Felony Conspiracy to commit a Crime, with at least one activist receiving an additional misdemeanor charge of obstructing or resisting a public officer.
This is clearly a gross attempt to demonize peaceful demonstrators, and is ironic in that the only ones to behave violently at all were first Newsom’s staff and then the police themselves. What was intended as a small, peaceful, spontaneous act of expression will quickly become a nightmare of legal fees and bureaucratic wrangling if these absurd charges are not dropped immediately. Gay Shame is asking that everyone call the D.A.’s office and request that he drop all charges, and that the prisoners be released with time served, so that the victims may return to their jobs and friends and families and lives.
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AUTHOR
DATE
mr
Mon, Jul 21, 2003 3:09PM
Question 4 gay men
Sun, Jul 20, 2003 7:59AM
activists can all go home.
Sun, Jul 20, 2003 1:00AM
Gay Rebels without a Cause
Sat, Jul 19, 2003 10:42AM
gay shame - on the ropes
Sat, Jul 19, 2003 2:31AM
Well
Fri, Jul 18, 2003 8:14PM
Re:Scottie
Fri, Jul 18, 2003 7:49PM
nngh
Fri, Jul 18, 2003 4:46PM
Kjoe
Fri, Jul 18, 2003 12:27PM
TOO LATE FOR EXCUSES
Fri, Jul 11, 2003 2:08PM
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