From: WAND_M@gold.colorado.edu
Subject: Capitol vigil urges plan for civil rights
Followup-To: amend2-discuss@cs.colorado.edu
Originator: doherty@ucsu.Colorado.EDU
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 22:47:40 GMT

The Denver Post
January 20, 1993

By Jim Kirksey, Staff Writer

About 200 people got chilled to the bone last night listening to messages 
intended to fire their resolve to battle Amendment 2 and discrimination in 
general.

As temperatures dropped to the low 20s and the wind-chill factor dipped into 
single digits, speakers on the west steps on the state Capitol scored the Bush 
administration's record on civil rights and the state's passage of Amendment 2.  
They expressed optimism for change under President-elect Bill Clinton.

Todd Chamberlin, a senior at the Universty of Colorado and president of 
Commmunities United for Equality, warned the chilly gathering to be wary of 
"agents of evil" working to divide the people of the state and nation with a 
campaign of hatred and intolerance.

Chamberlin organized the candlelight vigil,which was one of hundreds around the 
nation designed to "cue" the new president to a 100-day plan for civil rights 
drawn up by the National Organization for Women.

"Tonight and throughout this week communities throughout the United States, and 
the world, will stand united with communities here in Colorado as a show of 
solidarity for equality and human rights," he said.

"We must seize this opportunity to bring ourselves together, for there are 
agents of evil out there dividing American against American, Coloradan against 
Coloradan, friend against friend, family member against family member," the 
college student told the gathering.

Chamberlin said the state's voters "fueled the stoves of hatred and 
intolerance" with the passage last November of Amendment 2--which prevents 
cities or other governmental agencies from adopting gay-rights laws.

The voter's decision "made me for the first time in my life feel ashamed and 
scared to be a native Coloradan, feel ashamed and scared to be an American, 
feel ashamed and scared to be a Christian.

"For the passage of Amendment 2 tears away at the very heart and very soul of 
our state and our nation."

Tobi Hail, chairwoman of the Lesbian Rights Task Force of the National 
Organization for Women of Colorado, got the crowd pumped up and cheering loudly 
early in the program by urging, "Let's hear it for Judge Bayless."

Denver District Court Judge Jeffrey Bayless last week issued a temporary 
restrianing order barring Amendment 2 from going into effect at least until 
after a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality has been resolved.

"I predict that in 1993 the entire nation will look to the gay and lesbian 
community of Colorado as an example of courage and solidarity," Hail said.


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