The LA Gay and Lesbian Center hosted a screening of the Prop 8 hearings Thursday morning. I'd guess the theater had about 100 in attendance. The mood was mix of hope and cynicism. The rushed stayed hushed for the first hour or the three hours of oral arguments with an occasional supportive shout out.
Then the attorney from Jerry Brown's office got up. His reluctance to tackle questions head on earned scores of groans and gasps from the crowd.
Then it was Ken Starr's turn. Articulate and directed, he didn't mince words during his time at the microphone. His acknowledgment that the people can make very "unwise, if not callous and macabre voting decisions" in the process of self rule earned hisses and shouts around the room.
After the 3.5 hour viewing, Center Exec Director Lorri Jean got on stage with a Lambda Legal attorney for some off the cuff remarks.
They seemed to think that Justice Kennard, the most outspoken and seemingly critical of our side, may be switching sides on this vote to the keep Prop 8 intact. There was also some speculation that one of the other female justices, who voted against marriage rights, may come to our side.
I guess it's a wait and see game now. It felt good to witness history with other members of our community who are interested in seeing our civil rights upheld. And it was apparent that this issue isn't going away. It's not a matter of if we get rights, it's when.
