Sacramento is site of California same-sex marriage protest
Ryan Rose, The Sacramento Union
February 15, 2005

SACRAMENTO - Hundreds of Sacramento residents lined the north steps of the State Capitol Monday to protest the actions of Democratic legislators who, they claim, are subverting Proposition 22. The law, passed by voters in 1998, bans same-sex marriage. Many of the protesters were Russian immigrant families bused to the city from Carmichael churches. A local Russian woman provided translation to the mass.

Hosted by the Campaign for Children and Families, the protest featured speeches from District 5 congressional Republican candidate Serge A. Chernay, Yuba City Pastor Bill Jims, the Rev. Spark Gau, and campaign chairman Randy Thomasson. Monday’s protest was the first in a statewide tour running from Sacramento to San Diego. Called the “Keep Your Hands off Marriage Tour,” the campaign will travel to 19 California cities over four days.

“God created marriage for a man and a woman, California voters affirmed this natural and exclusive institution, and now Democrat state legislators are arrogantly trashing the people’s vote,” said Thomasson on his group’s Web site, www.savecalifornia.com.

Even as rain slowly began to drizzle down on the crowd, Monday’s protestors remained standing at the capitol steps, determined to make the State Legislature hear their demands. Many in the crowd feverishly waved hand-made signs that scorned homosexuality, calling it a “sin of the world.” Others held up giant pieces of poster board, like one that claimed homosexual activity would kill off the world’s human population in 80 years.

Long time family-rights leader Thomasson said Christians around the country should work together to fight any attack on the institution of marriage or the widely approved Proposition 22, the 1998 voter initiative that made California marriages solely between one man and one woman.

“The message of tour is to send a message to the people their vote is under attack,” “We are sending a clear message, a strong message to the Democratic politicians to keep [their] hands off marriage.”

With much of their rage aimed at the Democratic Legislators (specifically Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, and his Assembly Bill 19, a same-sex marriage initiative), the crowd hollered chants of disapproval. Thomasson called on all in attendance to call their legislators and demand they deny changing the state’s definition of marriage.

Rev. Bill Jims addressed the crowd as he would his Sunday flock, referring to the Bible as the main reason to turn away approval of homosexual acts.

“My holy book, the Bible, and the law of nature both confer marriage is between one man and one woman,” he said. “It is a sad thing when we are confused about our sexuality and the way God made us. I love my homosexual brothers and sisters…but I ask them to abstain, fight the temptation.”

Chernay, a Russian immigrant and one of five Republican candidates running for the seat once held by late Democratic Rep. Robert T. Matsui, said if elected, he would protect the institution of marriage at the federal level.

“If you respect God, you have to deny same-sex marriage,” he said. “If I am elected to Congress, I will fight against all attempts to legalize same-sex marriages”

The largely immigrant population emotionally cheered on the calls to denounce the “evils of same-sex marriage” and for Americans to “go back to the Bible.” Some raised their hands in prayer, others dropped to their knees. Thomasson, impressed with the turnout by the minority population, said the immigrant community could lead the county in preserving traditional family values.

“Maybe it will be the immigrants that save California,” Thomasson said.

A counter protest by supporters of homosexual rights never materialized. Leno was unavailable for comment on his bill.