PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

MEETING WITH SANTORUM REPS
by JONAS Thursday, May. 01, 2003 at 8:56 PM

In response to Senator Rick Santorum's anti-gay remarks, some locals attened a rally/meeting at Santorums offices in Stations Square

There were several of us who showed up outside of Senator Rick Santorums Station Square offices today to protest what this arrogant, ignorant man said in an AP interview Monday where he stated,

"If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual (gay) sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything."

This obviously didn't fly over too well in our gay community. Nor with anyone with any rational sense of thinking. Nor with anyone who is compassionate for his fellow man or woman.

But oh wait! Of course we don't hear an apology, and we are a long way from a possible RESIGNATION, but he did say this is response to how we and the AP "miscontrued" it:

""I am a firm believer that all are equal under the Constitution. My comments should not be construed in any way as a statement on individual lifestyles."

So we met outside of his offices, signs reading "Santorum is a BIGOT!" "Santorum is an insult to thinking people evrywhere", and "Santorum is a shit head!" (that was mine :) )

We received lots of thumbs up and honks (in approval?) and i even heard one man in a large pick up truck with a confederate flag say "Go home!" or "Go homos!" Wasn't quite sure on his lack of enunciation there.

We made our way to the info desk inside the building. The woman there told us that we were not allowed to go upstairs and see our own Senator from PA.

"What do you mean we can't see him or his reps? Since when?!"

"Since today!" she replied.

After some deliberation and a phone call to the "man upstairs" by that cute little boy who founded Project 1877 in Freindship area (4805 Penn and Mathilda). He smooth talked them into allowing 6 of us to go up, only after signing in and showing id, and leaving our bags in the lobby. We snuck a seventh person in.

Branden, Mitch and Jonas (from OPTICS and Palestine Solidarity Committee), beautiful Tim Vining and wondrous Marie from the Merton Center, and two other peeps whose names I forgot but I love (sorry!): all made their way to the second floor.

We were escorted By "Jay" to the 2nd floor. We were asked to sign in. Under the comment section, someone wrote "Santorum is a bigot!" Can you believe it?

There, we met Keith SChmidt. the more outspoken rep of the two. We huddled around the table all 9 of us, some anger emanating from both sides. But the dialgue began nonetheless.

Keith handed us the statement Mr. Santorum made after hearing how the public misconstrued his comments. He made a few refernce to the fact that this was NOT an apology, but a clarification.

I stated later that I didnt know how he could be more clear. Placing homosexual "acts" in the same category as incest, bigamy, and polygamy, is clear to me that Santorum is a bigoted, arrogant man who should not be in his position.

Keith said later, "Not everyone agrees with our boss" (meaning Santorum)..." but (I) respect him for standing by his words...We live in a representative government- he (Santorum) has got to call them as he sees them."

I asked myself internally, do the 7 or 8 of us in fornt of you who may be of the homosexual persuasion seem like the incestual type?

Tim Vining brought up the fact the suicide rate among homosexuals is 3% higher than that of their heterosexual counterparts.

Because of people in positions like Santorums who say such things, because theyre already having a rough time dealing with coming to terms with their sexuality, these gays, these queers, hurt themselves/ kill themselves. "Santorum is going to have a lot of blood on his hands," says Tim.

The main feelings that we all shared towards the end of the talk was that he owed an apology, both to the gay community, and to the Catholic church, for using them as a means to justify his bigoted remarks towards homosexuals, (or homosexual acts), as he put it.

So, our next step, hopefully, will be to meet with this man, to discuss in person how we feel. AS Keith stated, "He didnt feel Santorums remarks were harmful to anyone." I say they most certainly were. And we want Santorum to apologize, publicly.

And on a personal note, and I know I am not alone on this one, I want him to resign, as do the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee who called on Santorum to resign as chairman of the Republican Senate Caucus, the number three position in the GOP leadership.

Keep up the pressure everyone, please, and get this man out of office.

And thanks everyone who came to voice their opinions today!

Time will tell, but you have to give it a voice!

Call Rick Santorums Office and tell them how you feel.
(202) 224-6324

Thanks!

Jonas

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