Random notes from the Day of Action

Equality NC's Day of Action was a great success yesterday.

• We had almost 250 people come to the legislature
• Folks came from as far across the state as Duck, Wilmington, and Asheville.
• We had many straight allies come.
• The full spectrum of age was covered from the older, golden-year gays to the toddler children of gays.
• The teenagers who came, including one 13-year-old kid, were very involved and outspoken.
• We had a good collection of young people, as well as people of color.
  
• Wandering contingents of home-school parents and their kids who stopped by our area were interested in our work on the School Violence Prevention Act (SVPA). (They also enjoyed the leftover cookies. It's probably best that they didn't wander into the auditorium during the talk on sodomy policy!)
• We got good news coverage. Kate Mabe, who also spoke at the SVPA press conference, was interviewed by News Channel 14.
• One of our supportive legislators said that so far this year we have had the largest group of people come to the legislature. (Apparently the folks who came to the marriage discrimination rally a few weeks ago simply milled about in the public spaces and didn't make much of an effort to talk to their senators and representatives.)
• Our supportive senators and reps were very happy to see us.
• Antigay senators and legislators were mostly civil, though some of them were "away all day" and unable to meet with their constituents, and at least one of them literally jogged away when he saw some of our folks coming to his office.