On the road: Light Up the Night, San Diego

You might remember a post I did on Nov. 15 about the rally that took place outside the New York City Hall in protest of passage of Proposition 8 in California ("Girl, you did not just steal our rights. DID YOU. Seriously?"). Well, that was the result of a multi-state effort coordinated by Join the Impact.

Back then then the largest demo took place in San Diego, California, as was captured and described by Rex Wockner over on his blog ("Stonewall 2.0 - 25,000 in San Diego"). And, while Join the Impact has served as a conduit for some additional actions since then (most notably the recent "Day without a Gay" action which was promoted but not organized by them), tonight was supposed to be the big follow up to the Nov. 15 actions.

The idea? Light up the night for equality which called on people to hold candlelight vigils at shopping malls across the United States "for the rights of 18,000 same-sex couples who married and look forward to the day when those rights are available again."

Lucky be a lad tonight, Dec. 20th caught me visiting Rex here in San Diego so I tagged along as he went to cover one of the local vigils as a journalist (unfathomably, instead of calling for a vigil at a single mall here in San Diego, they called for vigils at six different venues!).

I'm not sure how it went in other San Diego sites, much less across the country, but at the Fashion Valley Mall, right in front of Bloomingdale's, a crowd of 150 to 200 stood in line holding candles and a few signs on a chilly evening.

It was a mixed crowd with some younger folk...

Some bears...

And a smattering of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence...

I took a few more pictures and some of them are here. No real drama despite the man who shouted "Immorality!" as he sped by in a small expensive car.

As reports come from elsewhere, I'll also update this post with additional links to other Light Up the Night actions.

Rex Wockner's take - including more photos - available at "Light up the night for equality - San Diego version"). From his blog:

Join The Impact's next nationwide action is Jan. 10 - when the group has called for marches on the 50 state capitols to remind Barack Obama that he has promised to repeal the anti-gay federal Defense of Marriage Act, aka DOMA.

Related Blogs:

• San Diego: UTC San Diego (Pam's House Blend)
  
• NYC: Across the Universe (John Ozed)
• Miami: Light Up the Night (Knuckle Crack)
• Miami: Out of the Darkness (The Lair of the Okapi)
  
• Hollywood: Light Up the Night for Equal rights (Chisme Time)
  
• San Francisco: Light Up the Night (Love not H8)
  
• Dallas: Light Up the Night @ The Dallas Galleria (Why do we fail, sir)
• Philadelphia: Light up the night in Philly (Whiskey Mambo)
• Albuquerque: We'll never change hearts and minds this way (Byzigenous Buddhapalian)
• Chicago: Photo Essay: Light Up The Night (Chicago Gay Examiner)
  

Related media:

• NYC: Prop 8 Rally held in Midtown (NY1)
• Ithaca, NY: Food drive aims to link gay rights, faith-based charities (The Ithaca Journal)
  
• Eureka, CA: Prop. 8 protesters hold Eureka vigil (Eureka Times-Standard)
• Santa Cruz, CA: Hundreds ather for same-sex marriage vigil (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
  
• Vacaville, CA: Group takes narriage equality message to shoppers (The Reporter)
• Valencia, CA: A loud and clear message, quietly (The Signal)
  
• Boise, Idaho: Light Up the Night for Equality Draws Crowds (Fox 12)
  
• Asheville, NC: Asheville event protests prohibition on gay weddings (Asheville Citizen-Times)
• Charlottesville, VA: Gay rights advocates gather in C'ville (NBC29)