With signs reading “Where is the love Steve?” and “We’re here, we’re queer, we vote,” protesters stood silently outside the Union’s Castilian room Wednesday night awaiting the arrival of College Republican Alliance’s guest speaker, State Rep. Steve Scalise.
In protest of Scalise, R-Jefferson, the queer community came out in large numbers to show their dissatisfaction with Scalise’s proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages in Louisiana.
In his speech, Scalise said his amendment, House bill 61, will define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Currently one state law already declares this, but Scalise told members and protesters he does not want to see that law overturned by the courts.
After the meeting began, some protesters listened inside, while the majority held posters up to the large wall of windows outside the Castilian room.
On the whistle command of Spectrum Aliiance’s co-chair Anna Byars, members holding posters switched positions every 30 to 40 seconds.
Holding a sign reading “Shame on you Steve Scalise,” Jonathon Clark, secondary education senior, said he would like to eventually settle down with a family, and people like Steve Scalise are interfering with this.
“I’m not here to protest Republicans in particular,” Clark said. “I’m mostly here for Steve Scalise. Not all Republicans believe what he’s saying.”
In his speech, Scalise said Louisiana must avoid the chaos that has resulted around the country from the Massachusetts court decision. Scalise also said it should be put on the ballot for voters to decide.
“In the end, if the voters of the state of Louisiana should make the decision,” Scalise said. “If voters say we don’t want marriage to stay the way it’s defined right now in our constitution — then they can vote it down. But, if they say they do want to hold the sanctity of marriage the same way it’s been for thousands of years, I think that that decision should be made by the state.”
Though most protesters were Spectrum Alliance members, representatives from the Lambda Center, the College Democrats, the Student Environmental Action Coalition and the Progressive Student Alliance joined the cause.
“We really have a tremendous amount of support, not just LSU, but in the whole Baton Rouge community,” said Byars, a women’s and gender studies junior.
Former Spectrum co-chair George Juge sat in on the CRA meeting. After Scalise’s speech, Juge asked him how he thought this amendment will benefit American society.
Scalise said marriage should be redefined by the constitution so it is not at the “whim of judges,” like in Massachusetts.
Juge said Scalise was basing his whole argument on religion, and not on equal rights, which is the true issue at hand.
“This is what we care about, this is why we’re here,” Byars said. “We were injected with a lot of enthusiasm tonight, and this reunites us with our original goal, which is equal rights and marriage equality.”
Tony Brown, political science sophomore and CRA member, said the protesters obviously are against the amendment and wanted to send a message to Rep. Scalise.
“I respect their beliefs, but I believe marriage is between a man and a woman,” Brown said. “I think they should have rights, but they should not get the title of being married. I’m a liberal Republican.”