LIGHT UP THE NIGHT

hello, i hope your holiday season is well, if you don't remember me, my name is Scott Boardman, I helped organize the Pasadena Join the Impact rally in November! it has come to my attention there there will be a national silent protest this time next week. if you haven't heard yet it's called LIGHT UP THE NIGHT. this time we will not be chanting or bearing loud signs, instead we will be burning candles and donning t-shirts (please see the website: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/Pasadena) The plan is to meet on the corner of Fair Oaks and Colorado at 5 p.m. and go from there. It would be ideal if we could take over all four corners of the intersection and then at 6 p.m. come together for a quiet and peaceful march around Old Town, finally ending up in the Miller Alley Square which inhabits Johnny Rockets, Laemmle Theater and Gordon Biersch. Again this is a silent protest, so all you will need is a candle or LED candle (Target's having a GREAT SALE ON LED CANDLES... buy in bulk and have them just in case your neighbor/friend needs them for the march) and we will be wearing second class t-shirts, if you don't have a t-shirt like that please wear black in honor of the Pasadena GayBorhood tradition (www.pasadenagayborhood.com).

I hope to see you all there at 5 p.m., please spread the word and if you're not around Pasadena take the initiative and start one up in your city, just log onto: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com
I hope to see you all there and please spread the word...

Be well...

Scott Boardman

IN MY BOOK...

IN MY BOOK... PASTOR ZELDA KENNEDY IS A HERO!

JOIN THE IMPACT: WRAP UP AND THOUGHTS!!!

It's been a little over 24 hours since the Join the Impact rally took place. I decided to hold off and give this blog posting at least a 24 hour thought process before I put anything down in words - some might say this is a good approach, while others could argue that I might lose some essential details - well this is my approach!

The 'ITalian' and I arrived at 9:30 and City Hall as well as All Saints Church was DESOLATE - there was NO ONE around... I was so worried that it would be five people protesting - the cops outweighing the protestors, that wouldn't be good, LOL! Thankfully people started coming: by pairs, and groups of three's, fives, and then by droves! Carrying signs, their children and passion, all of the people standing in front of Pasadena City Hall had a story to tell and a personal reason for being there! I have to hand it to my boyfriend, he was SOO AMAZING this week. He hardly whimpered at my attention being totally devoted to this project, and yesterday he didn't complain that I wasn't focusing on him - instead he let me be and do my thing, he was okay on his own with my brother, Moses, Abdullah and Rob (my roomie). When 10:30 rolled around there were hundreds of people and as I spoke to the crowd people kept flocking to the event. The Pasadena Star News (the link is to the story written by reporter Brian Day) says that the event had at least 300 people there, while others have said it was between 500-700 people, thoughts on that anyone???

There were numerous speakers yesterday - too many to name and I'm sorry if I don't mention all of you but I have to say that the one that made me tear up and feel why I was there was the speaker named Scott Boardman - I'M JUST KIDDING! In all honesty Pastor Zelda Kennedy from All Saints Episcopal Church located directly behind Pasadena City Hall gave a memorable and pertinent speech that made us all think of what civil rights are. The most important thing she said was that she has seen discrimination in her life, she knows what it looks like and Proposition 8's passage is just that. She took us on a stroll down memory lane when she had to ride in the back of the bus and (either her or her friend - or both) had to deal with water sprays and police dogs unleashed on her because of the color of her skin - her speech gave me goosebumps and I wish I would have recorded it. (Photo courtesy of Pasadena Star News. Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz)

I also have to say that the Pasadena Police was amazing in their efforts to keep the Free Speech Rally peaceful and on task - Veronica Burris in particular was the only visible police officer that I saw who was patrolling the area and took the time to come up to us, introduce herself and tell us what we could and could not do. I think the Church can attest to her professionalism, efficiency and fairness led to our protest moving along that much more smoothly - THANK YOU OFFICER BURRIS!!! If you can please call:
(626) 744-4501, and compliment this officer - seldom, if at all, does the police department receive positive feedback and this officer deserves it. I found out that she was in fact working overtime and should have been home, I think we all know how much it's a downer when you'd rather be elsewhere than working - what an amazing officer!

After the rally hundreds of protestors took to the sidewalks of Old Town Pasadena to spread their message of the discrimination within Proposition 8. We met up with the group for the last blocks but I can attest to the four to five blocks that the marchers stretched - it was incredible!

Also, a major thank you to Perez HIlton for compiling some of the YouTube links from yesterday's rally - EVEN IF HE DIDN'T CHOOSE TO COME TO OURS *wink*!! You can see all of the rally's on YouTube via Perez's page or by logging onto YouTube!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAFoSwZ3INs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBrZJORF1ac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkOglA6ssh8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I14AouzGDLM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pz3T4fYtlk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nRmGmlvJwg


So I was looking around to see if I could find pictures of the rally because I wanted to see what I, unfortunately, missed. And I thought I'd share them with you in case you haven't seen them. If you have any please send them to me and I will add them... but in the meantime enjoy!!!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/SpaceCadet333/JoinTheImpact#

http://flickr. com/photos/39995061@N00/sets/72157609146308131/

http://flickr. com/photos/jesusinlove/sets/72157609156911083/

http://flickr. com/photos/merider/tags/prop8protest/

http://flickr. com/photos/bagginz/3033577857/in/photostream/

http://flickr. com/photos/bagginz/3034417476/in/photostream/

http://flickr. com/photos/bagginz/3033578359/in/photostream/

http://flickr. com/photos/bagginz/3033610497/in/photostream/

http://flickr. com/photos/bagginz/3034450306/in/photostream/

http://flickr. com/photos/42465014@N00/3035250126/

http://flickr. com/photos/42465014@N00/3034411857/

http://flickr. com/photos/42465014@N00/3035249104/

http://flickr. com/photos/42465014@N00/3035248572

UPDATED: RALLY UPDATE - GOOD NEWS!!!

This morning I trucked on down to the Pasadena City Hall to seek out either a permit for a rally/demonstration on the steps of City Hall or to at least let them know - turns out the latter is all that I needed. Given the name 'A Free Speech Demonstration" this needs no permit - the guys from Pasadena Gayborhood were correct - as long as you don't interfere with traffic then everything is fine and no permit is needed - HOORAY!!

I can't wait to see everyone on Saturday, I know our protest will be one to remember being both: peaceful and prominent!

Be well..

Scott Boardman

UPDATE: THE PROTEST WILL TAKE PLACE AT 10:30 a.m. on SATURDAY MORNING!!

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE LOG ONTO WWW.JOINTHEIMPACT.COM

TAKING CHANCES... WHAT DO YOU SAY??

I don't know about you what I am up for taking chances... are you? Today I've had two major organizations from Pasadena call me and lend a helping hand: All Saints Episcopal Church and Pasadena GayBoorHood Association!!! Please watch my NEW video and get mobilized!!!