The organization Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, or PFLAG, put on a rally in front of the Athens County Courthouse on Monday — the day before the United States Supreme Court begins hearing arguments in two landmark cases on marriage equality.
The justices will begin listening to a constitutional challenge Tuesday to California Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage. On Wednesday, the court will consider the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, preventing Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) couples from receiving benefits from the federal government, according to MSNBC.
“With the upcoming week, it’s going to be in the Supreme Court and how huge it will hopefully be for gay rights; I’m out here in support of gay marriage for myself and my other LGBTQ friends,” said Alex Doherty, an Ohio University junior studying sociology. ““It’s a statement for the Supreme Court to strike down Prop 8 and extend marriage rights to the rest of us.”
There has always been a lot of social resistance to this type of change, Doherty said. Now that people have begun to step up and make their voices heard, the topic is finally receiving more attention.
George Sherman, a straight ally of PFLAG, said the group is placing a lot of focus on marriage equality, as it has become such a hot-button issue.
“We’re standing with the hope that the Supreme Court will act in the interest of our gay and lesbian citizens,” Sherman said. “I’m out here to bear witness and to be in unity with all of my friends and fellow supporters, to do what I can to see that all Americans can have equal rights.”
The group’s mission is to spread awareness in the area, said Ginny Blakely, who was recently accepted into the social work masters program at OU.
“Sometimes you just need to see those signs on the side of the road that say, ‘Hey, we’re here for you, we support you, you’re not alone,’ ” Blakely said. “This is a group that will fight for you.”
The group was also intrigued by the recent announcement by U.S. Senator Rob Portman, R-Ohio, saying he now supports gay marriage after his son came out to him and his wife, according to Portman’s op-ed in The Columbus Dispatch.
“I think he came to it as many people have, when it hits home, and it becomes a human issue and not a political issue,” Sherman said.
Doherty said U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has always been an ally for LGBTQ individuals, but Portman’s announcement was a bit of a surprise.
“It’s a very welcome surprise,” Doherty said. “Because now we have friends on both sides of the aisle who are willing to come together on what is a human rights issue.”
as299810@ohiou.edu
