On June 16, 1996, a coalition of organizations put together the first New York protest against the federal "Defense of Marriage Act." The bill, which may be law by the publication of this issue, is designed to preserve the institution of marriage as a heterosexual privilige.

Hundreds of people gathered in Bryant Park to protest the bill, as well as a New York State version that had been introduced in Albany. To conclude the event, NYC Councilman Tom Duane conducted a "wed-in" ceremony of commitment, in which several leather people joined. Each was then given a marriage certificate.

Among the speakers were Gloria Steinem (founder of Ms. Magazine), Karen Burstein, Chris Quinn (Exec. Dir., Anti-Violence Project) and Barry Douglas, a past chairman of GMSMA. Barry's speech appears below. Anyone wishing to join in this fight should write our Community Involvement Committee c/o GMSMA.

My parents were married till death did they part. My grandparents were married 52 years until death separated them. My sister is still married to her high school sweetheart. I can't marry the man I love and with whom I've lived for over ten years. Why does my family have these special rights and I don't?

This isn't the place to speak of whether marriage is a heterosexist institution, a financial arrangement negotiated in bed, or a glorious statement of commitment, trust and love. The theories are important, but timing is too. We must fight any government - city, county, state, or federal - that tries to deny rights to any citizen based on sexual orientation or gender.

We can not wait for debates on whether marriage is good for us. We must obtain the choice.

During the public debate on gays in the military, our community argued how much to trust Clinton, whether there should be an army at all, and even if it was an important issue. While we questioned ourselves, Congress passed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and began the biggest homo hunt in years. We showed them that a million people could march and protest, but they found out there still isn't a political cost for opposing us. Well, it's up to us to show that from now on there is a cost.

Nor can we wait until legislation is passed and then try to repeal it, as we did with the ballot referendum in Colorado, which changed the state constitution to eliminate the possibility of legal protections for citizens based on sexual orientation or perception of sexual orientation. While many fought against the referendum before it was passed, it was only when we lost that there was a concerted national effort. We won a great legal victory in the Supreme Court decision on Amendment 2. But that was four years of the efforts of thousands of volunteers, enormous amounts of money we don't have, and tremendous backlash from the right. And the reward for this victory? We have no more legal protection than we had four years ago.

As all of you probably know, immediately after the Supreme Court decision was announced, President Clinton and the media put the anti-gay Defense of Marriage bill onto the front pages, replacing our victory. This is our friend? President Clinton? This man who wouldn't even allow a friend of the court brief in support of our position on Amendment 2. We can't depend on Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Anarchists or anyone but ourselves to get us our equality.

I have always participated in political action as a man into safe, sane, and consensual s/m. I know that for many of us in the leather community, we are a family. I'm sure it's true in many other segments of queerdom, as well. If so, now is the time we better take action to Defend our Family.

Get involved. Get others involved. Let us use the Supreme Court decision to invigorate a community born on the streets, nurtured in the cities, and matured in every town in America. We need to organize locally, regionally, and nationally. We need to be seen - and we especially need to be heard. And we need to respond immediately whenever our choices and rights are challenged.

Most of us were born to a married couple. We know what the institution has been. Many of us have ideas of what it can be. Like heterosexuals, some gay couples will choose to marry and some won't. But all of us deserve the choice.

Each of us will decide how to make the fight - march, protest, write letters, or go to Hawaii. I chose to do all of it. Aloha.

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