white night fright

As the deadline looms for the California Supreme Court to release its decision on the legality of Proposition 8, people are watching intently. So intently, in fact, that seemingly minor actions are being scrutinized as a sign.

Yesterday, barriers were unloaded in the Castro and in front of Government buildings in downtown San Francisco, which many speculated were a sign that a ruling was imminent. Has this been true, the ruling would have come on the thirtieth anniversary of the White Night Riots.

For the uninititated, the White Night Riots were an act of civil disobedience by a community outraged by the miscarriage of justice when former Supervisor Dan White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for the premeditated double murder of George Moscone and Harvey Milk. City hall was attacked, people rioted in the streets, police cars were set ablaze. The police responded in a facsist matter and attacked the community in return. Not their finest hour.

All in all, probably not a fortuitous anniversary to release a decision which may very well uphold bigotry codified into law in the Golden State. So when no announcement was forthcoming, world leaked out that there was to have been an announcement tomorrow, but Mayor Gavin Newsom asked that it be delayed. His office has since denied the story.

But that does not make it untrue, especially considering the likely outcome.

Will we have Civil Rights soon? I'll let you know as soon as I hear.