Subject: SF rice-toss over DOMA
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 18:08:58 -0400

For Immediate Release             Contacts: Tommi Avicolli Mecca
September 10, 1996                                  Ph.# (415) 552-6031

                                                                      Michael
Petrelis
                                                                 Ph.# (415)
621-6267

                  GAYS PLAN "RICE-TOSS" OVER "DOMA;"

                   RALLY FRIDAY AT HARVEY MILK PLAZA

San Francisco, CA -- Gays and lesbians upset over the Senate's passage of the
anti-gay-marriage bill, DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, will hold a rally
to protest the act and to urge President Bill Clinton to veto DOMA when it
reaches his desk.

 WHAT:  Rally in favor of gay and lesbian marriages

 WHERE:  Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro and Market Streets

 DATE: Friday, September 13, 1996

 WHEN: 7:00 p.m.

The Senate passed DOMA on September 10, with 85 Senators voting in favor of
the bill, and 14 against. Both of California's Democratic Senators, Barbara
Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, voted against the anti-gay legislation. Clinton
has stated he will sign the bill into law.

Organizers of the rally are asking people to bring rice to the rally on
Friday. The rice will be tossed over the crowd as a symbolic blessing of gay
and lesbian unions.

"We will show the world that gay and lesbian marriage is about one thing -
love. Our message to the President and the American public is that now is the
time to grant equal marriage rights to gay and lesbian Americans. After all,
there aren't a limited number of marriage licenses in America," noted rally
organizer Michael Petrelis.
                                       --30--

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 02:06:13 -0400
Subject: Report: SF rice-toss

Before I get to the report, I must inform you of arrests in DC today over the
DOMA. When my boyfriend Mike Merrigan arrived at the rally, he told me he
spoke with Wayne Turner of ACT UP/Washington, DC, who said he and a few other
people, including the Rev. Mel White, were arrested earlier today. It says
many good things when street activists ar working with religious leaders.
Thanks for the protest, Turner, White, et al.,

Tonight's San Francisco rice-toss over DOMA attracted over 60 people at
Harvey Milk Plaza for a forty-five minute rally. Tommi Avicolli Mecca served
as emcee for speakers that included Kerrington Osborne, of a local black gay
group, and Crystal Washington, representing Supervisor Leslie Katz's office,
Clark Taylor, an AIDS educator, and then myself. During an open-mic period,
eight other speakers talked about what gay marriage meant to them. 

Many speakers slammed President Clinton for his record of oppoising gay
marriage since 1992, and intention to sign DOMA into law. I asked the crowd
to __mail rice to Clinton__, as a form of protest against his signature on
DOMA. I think with his 20-plus point leads in all national polls, and even
higher in California, he can easily spend some political capitol on our
behalf. 

Halfway through the rally, we tossed dixie cups full of rice and birdseed
over ourselves as a blessing on ALL gay and lesbian unions and friendships.
Yes, it was great being with other queers in our neighborhood, showering each
other with raining rice!

Two TV stations had crews there. A reporter from PlanetQ was recording the
rally on a tape recorder, which I hope she transcribes and shares on the
Internet. All three SF gay newspapers sent their photographers. 

To recap the three DOMA actions: Seattle and SF rice-tosses, DC arrests. And
on Monday, David Mixner and other lobbyists were be arrested in LA, making it
the fourth demonstration over this bill, and Clinton's soon-to-be-affixed
John Hancock. Unless he is convinced to veto DOMA.

My boyfriend and I ask if anyone has ideas on how to change the president's
malleable mind. Maybe commission a poll showing he would lose only a few low
digit points in the polls? Suggestions, please!