Medford Joins National Prop 8/Gay Marriage Protest

Medford protesters joined a nationwide demonstration for gay rights.

Organizers say protesters in about 300 cities across the country simultaneously demonstrated against California's Proposition 8, and similar anti-gay marriage amendments in Arizona, Arkansas and Florida.

Protesters say the goal of the demonstration was to spark a nationwide push for gay rights.

For the people in downtown Medford today, there was a lot of emotion behind the issue.

Their chant: "What do we want? Equality! When do we want it? Now!"

James Frank is a father and a grandfather, but he says he's still fighting to be recognized as husband.

"I'm not a two-headed monster; I put my pants on one leg at a time like every body else," he says.

This couple is like thousands more across the country, recognized as domestic partners, but not allowed to get married.

So now gay couples and their supporters are standing up across the nation calling for equal rights.

The protests come two weeks after California, Arizona and Florida passed bans against same-sex marriage.

Arkansas voters also banned same sex couples from adopting.

Ashland's Holice Greenwold and Mary Pat Power married in Canada 27 years ago.

"It's so heartbreaking to think that anyone would want to take this away," Greenwood says.

Medford's Keisan Anderson and Megan Freer-Sell say their ready to make the same commitment.

"I'm ready for equal rights," Freer-Sell says. "I don't see their point in discriminating against people because their gay if we want to get married we should be able to get married just like everybody else."

Straight Oregonians also showed up in downtown Medford to fight for gay rights.

Nick Tworog says he fought with the National Guard for the entire country.

"I served for everybody's rights in the United States. I served for freedom, I served for equality of everyone," he says.

Most in Medford's demonstration say they'll keep fighting for equal rights, as long as it takes.

California city and counties officials have already petitioned the state's Supreme Court to toss out the vote all together.

Demonstration organizers say they hope the national turn out helps interest in overturning similar amendments in other states.

Several grassroots organizations helped organize the protests.

Most of the groups used social networking sites and text messaging to spread the word.