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Wedstock:
Comedian Margaret Cho appeared at a rally
for gay marriage rights at Civic Center on May 17, 2004. Hundreds marched
from Powell and Market Streets in solidarity with gay couples in Massachusetts
who were being married with the state's blessing beginning that day. Though
the rally focused on the action on the east coast, it was a decidedly
San Francisco affair. One activist speaker at the Powell Street
end of the march called for free healthcare and free housing
for all. "Gay marriage was a dream in 1971," he reminded the crowd. No one could argue with optimism. Cho arrived in the nick of time after
a delayed flight, joining the rally near
the Main Library. Without a strong media organization by the rally's
sponsor, reporters and photographers attached themselves to one photogenic
couple, Jim Spinello and Bill Lenker,
and Brother Richard Cardarelli. Frank
Chu was never far from the scene. Cho, who married artist Al Ridenour
in June, 2003, said that civil unions were no substitute for wedded bliss.
As the comedian marched toward Joseph L. Alioto Performing Arts Piazza,
the icon of the gay community resembled an Eva
Peron for the 21st Century. Later, the crowd shouted, "Margaret
Cho for president," as the San Francisco native left the stage. A
few months after she married Ridenour, Cho told the New York Daily News,
"It's not a traditional situation,'' adding, "It's not a committed
marriage. We're just friends who share space. My parents don't understand
it. They just send us Yahoo E-cards wishing us well.'' At Civic Center, the transsexual Kitty Castro asked Cho if she were openly lesbian. Cho said, "I'm openly everything." Cho's gay
marriage web site is one of the best online resources for information
on the struggle for gay marriage rights nationwide. The march was part
of a day of coordinated demonstrations in several cities.
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