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News :: Miscellaneous |
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14 protestors demand legitimazation of GLBT people. 7 arrested. |
Current rating: 0 |
by kathryn matzen
Email: matzen (nospam) clam.clamcenter.org (unverified!)
Phone: 328-3185
Address: 504 s. broadway urbana il 61801 |
10 May 2001
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In a news-savy event, 7 protestors were arrested at the capital for vocalizing their support for the house bill that prevents hobophobia from denying jobs and housing to queer-folk. |
85 percent of Illinois citizens support the termination of legal sexual discrimination.
House Bill 101 adds sexual orientation (not gender, yet) to the list of anti-discrimination clauses that protect the people of Illinois.
14 vocalizers and advocators attended the Senate executive committee hearing in the State Capitol in Springfield today, 10 May 2001, to show support for the bill's journey through the Senate.
7 demonstrators were arrested.
When the ruler of the (senate) court announced that, at the request of the sponsors, HB101 would not be called, the 14 of us began shouting "NO NO we won't go. we want equality. we're your daughters, we're your sons, Pass House Bill 101." Four members of the 85% coalition marched to the front of the room, faced the senators with locked arms and defiantly led our cheers.
To put pressure on the Senate to hear this bill, Mary Lee Sargent, Kimberlie Kranich, Lori Serb, and Marya Burke civilly disobeyed the no protest rules of a Senate Hearing room, willing to be arrested in return. The remainder of our Urbana group chanted along in support of the vocal sit-in. We had agreed beforehand that there would be those who willingly faced arrest, and those who participated less visibly with a lower possibility of arrest. Sehvilla Mann and Jaime Gerber sat in the front row and showed support for the 4 women who did civil disobedience, not planning on being arrested themselves.
The security officers were quick to arrest the 4 women with locked arms and escort them out of the room and then arrested Sehvilla and Jaime, too. Meg, another protestor in our group, remained standing in the front row, a solitary vocal supporter of the civil rights of Illinois queer-folk, until she, too, was taken out of the room in handcuffs. Scattered applause greeted our demonstration. I sat stunned in the second row, quick to avoid arrest by shutting my mouth, and watched the senator-in-charge apologize for the disruption and continue on with the hearing.
Jaime was released later when she repeatedly stated that she had remained sitting during the protest. She told stories of the group of 7 arrested people cheering and singing in the elevator as they were taken to the basement for questioning. The officers kept tightening her handcuffs.
After questioning, Sehvilla remained in custody at the courthouse, waiting for her parents, while the 5 non-minors arrested were transported to the Sagamon County Jail to be booked. They returned to Urbana this evening, after release from jail.
A few words of encouragement and congradulation from labor union lobbyists followed me through out the courthouse afterward. I appreciated the thanks and felt misplaced in the praise heaped on a well-conducted direct action. With the postponement of the bill, Kimberlie alluded to a summer of education to accrue senate votes before the next time the bill is heard. |
