Join the Impact - Nationwide Protests Today

The "Join the Impact" movement has taken off like a California wild fire and today hundreds of protests are taking place all across the USA. Hopefully, many usually complacent members of the LGBT community will come out and stand with others who want to show that we gays are everywhere and that we do not all look like outlandish images in gay pride parades that our enemies love to disseminate. Information on the effort and an event in your area can be found at the Join the Impact website here. In the Norfolk area, the protest will be at 1:30 PM at Norfolk City Hall, 810 Union Street, Norfolk, Virgina. Events are taking place at six (6) other cities, including Richmond, Charlottesville and Williamsburg. If your schedule permits and an event is nearby, PLEASE consider attending. If we do not fight for our rights, do not expect others to do the right thing and just hand them to us.

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And believe me, the media is picking up on the movement. Here are highlights from the New York Times:

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The Internet played an unprecedented role in rallying voters during this year’s election. In the aftermath of the election, Web 2.0 tools are continuing to play a role in other causes, astonishing long-time activists with the power and speed with which it gets their message out.

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The latest example is a series of international protests scheduled for Saturday in opposition to California’s Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban that passed on Nov. 4. Join the Impact, a Web site built the morning of Friday, Nov. 7, has rallied hundreds of thousands of people who are gathering this weekend in eight countries, 50 states and 300 cities.

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This is the pinnacle of giving people a voice online. And people are taking that voice and making it meaningful with a megaphone.” Amy Balliett, one of the two original organizers of the movement, has organized local demonstrations and fundraisers in the past the old-fashioned way, with fliers around town and word of mouth. She said she is astonished at the momentum and speed that Join the Impact has picked up from the Web.

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Join the Impact is also on Twitter and Facebook, which are also helping to “drive the masses,” Ms. Balliett said. After the Saturday protests, the week-old organization will keep harnessing the power of the Web to fight for equality, she said. Next up: they are planning a “day without gays,” when they will encourage gay people to stay home and not contribute to the economy.