Call your senators to urge them to remain in staunch opposition. Contact family members outside Connecticut to do the same. Email, call, email again and again. And get off the couch, and get to the ballot box.
New Haven State Rep. Robyn Porter urged those next steps on 100 protesters gathered on the steps of the Elm Street courthouse Tuesday evening to oppose President Trump’s nomination of Yale Law School graduate Brett Kavanaugh to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The event was co-sponsored by NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut, Planned Parenthood Votes! Connecticut, CAIR-Connecticut, New Haven Pride Center, among 14 other local human rights organizations. It was part of a series of coordinated protests held nationwide to focus on fears that Kavanugh will cement a conservative court majority hostile to abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, and the rights of Muslims and racial minorities.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont and attorney general candidate William Tong showed up, too. As did Democratic lieutenant governor candidates Eva Bermudez Zimmerman and Susan Bysiewicz.
“Our liberation is interconnected,” said Alicia Strong (pictured), executive director of CAIR-CT, a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim rights organization, Strong stands in strong opposition to the upholding of the Muslim ban.
“Why do we have to be separate?” she asked. She called on the crowd to “mobilize [to] address the division of people here in Connecticut.”
“[LGBTQ+ people] are in every part of your life because we are a silent minority that represents a microcosm of the larger community,” said New Haven Pride Center Executive Director Patrick Dunn, emphasizing the ubiquity of non-gender conforming individuals. Dunn warned that the nomination of Justice Kavanaugh could “dismantle decades of work by the LGBTQ+ community.”
Trans rights activist IV Staklo (pictured) echoed Dunn’s sentiment and advocated for the necessity for solidarity, especially amongst the “U.S. working class people” with whom they identify. “We need to resist this appointment with all of our masses in our streets,” they said. “We cannot just rely on politicians to do the work for us.”
The event brought together New Haveners of all ages, races, and backgrounds donning bright pink Planned Parenthood shirts and wielding colorful posters defending various human rights organizations. Five counterprotesters stood nearby attempting to shout over the speeches.
“We trust women!” the crowd chanted.
“What about the babies!” chanted the counterprotesters. Three young teenagers positioned themselves behind the speakers, making their “I am the pro-life generation” posters visible between the pink Planned Parenthood placards.
State Rep. Porter (pictured) took to the podium to close out the evening and emphasized the need to “overflood” the U.S. senators with emails and calls opposing Kavanugh’s nomination. Connecticut’s two U.S. senators have already declared their intentions to vote against the nomination.
“We’ve got to do more than rally and protest,” Porter said. The Republicans in D.C. “are sitting high on their horse because we sat on the couch.”
“Let’s get ready. Let’s be ready.”