I didn't catch the count of how many of us there were, but between 30 and 50 Add the 4 Words demonstrators marched up to the capitol ready to share our stories.
All though out this movement, the Legislators have been saying they want specifics. They way data. They want numbers. They want to hear the stories. Yet, they will not give us a hearing. There can not be any real data to show them since LGBT is not a protected class, so WHO is going to collect the data? WHO do the LGBT community complain to in order to keep such data?
Since they have not given us a hearing of our own for us to share our stories with them. We decided to do a bit of storytelling on our own.
Actually, yesterday in the Idaho Statesman it warned, "Rumors flew around the Statehouse on Tuesday that organizers were planning a fresh drama in Round5, including talk of protesters bound in chains, dashing into traffic and bringing minor children who might require state child protective services while adults were arrested and booked."
Seriously? All of our protests have been peaceful. No chains. No danger. Just people blocking passages and then when put under arrest for trespassing, the demonstrators have gone peacefully with the officers. I am not certain where they got the info that we would chain ourselves together much less put children at risk! There was also a warning that local businesses around the Capitol were told to call the Capitol State Police and/or security guards if they saw protestors approaching the Capitol building today (and one actually did).
We are just a peaceful group of people wanting a hearing that has been refused us for 8 years.
Anyway, today it was decided that there would be no arrests. We would walk peacefully, single file with our hands over our mouths into the Capitol building. We would go into the cafeteria and sit at the tables (taking up as little room as possible) and write out our stories on pieces of paper. We would remain peaceful, quiet, respectful and focused. And that is exactly what we did. We even made sure to purchase things from the cafeteria so that we were not "loitering".
Gov. Otter even came into the cafeteria and sat with his back towards us and did not acknowledge the amount of people behind him who were peaceful and would like his respect and support. We let him be.
We finished our stories. Quietly, peacefully, respectfully and focused we marched up to the 3rd floor rotunda and lined ourselves up around the inner circle turning our faces into the rotunda. One at a time, we told our stories loud enough to be heard on all 3 floors. One after the other, we shared stories of discrimination, suicides, bullying, and our hope for the future and of equal rights here in Idaho. Once we made it around once with our stories. All at once, we passed our stories to the person to our right and in one voice we started sharing each other's stories. We filled that capitol with our voices and our stories for whole hour. The legislators won't let us have a hearing and want to keep us silent, but today we would not let them. Today we spoke out!
It was one of the most powerful things I have ever been part of. I got to read several of my friends stories. I got to give a voice to their stories. I got to give voice to the children who could not be there. I got to give a voice to the children who have taken their own lives. There were several times when I just burst out into tears from the emotion in the stories and the emotions around me.
Then precisely at 12:04. We all stopped mid-story. Silence. Left hands over our mouths and we stood, silently, respectfully, focused and peaceful. Then we collected our stories and quietly in a single file line walked out o the building, just as we had come in. As we congregated on the steps of the capitol we were told our leader for the day was in a meeting with the head of the Senate. We were hopefully that he was ready to give us a hearing. Instead, he wanted to know if we were leaving. He wanted us out of there. They had a big luncheon planned in the basement and he did not want them (from another country) to see (or hear) us. If we came back in, we would be asked to leave..and likely arrested. For what? It's the people's building. We were not blocking anything, and if we went in, we would be completely silent. We had every right to be in that building. But out of respect for what was happening, we decided NOT to re-enter the building. But the threat of possible arrests for peaceful quiet demonstration is very frustrating.
Anyway, trying not to focus on the insanity of arrests. Today, was a beautiful day of sharing stories. And when I got home, I have found immense joy in people sharing their "Stand Up With Selfies" photos on Facebook...people from all over the worlds..standing in support of Human Rights in Idaho. It doesn't get much better than that! Join in the fun at Stand Up With A Selfie
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