The following description is borrowed from former NT Daily Photographer Charlie McRae, contributing during the demonstration. All photographs in this blog were taken by myself.
GLAD, Queer Liberaction and other organizations gathered in a non-designated free-speech area on Wednesday, October 14th outside Wooten Hall on the University of North Texas campus in Denton, Texas, protesting the recent vote by the Student Government Association to disallow same-sex couples from running for homecoming court.
They then marched into the building, up the stairs, and into the actual room where the SGA meeting was about to begin, and began chanting and protesting and making their cause known. The SGA members decided to created an “executive session” meaning that only SGA members could be in attendance, at an otherwise normally open meeting. Police officers were brought in to escort people out. After some threatening, everyone left of their own free will.
Outside Wooten Hall, gay rights activits protest the Studen Government Association meeting in room 314 on Wednesday October 14th.Criminal Justice senior Charles Grand of the International Socialist Organization addresses the protestors outside Wooten Hall on Wednesday October 14th.
Criminal Justice senior Charles Grand of the International Socialist Organization addresses the protestors outside Wooten Hall on Wednesday October 14th.
Queer Liberaction member Rick Vanderslice addresses the protestors gathered outside Wooten Hall on Wednesday, October 14th.
A UNT student and member of the International Socialist Organization storms into the SGA meeting on Wednesday October 14th in Wooten Hall.
Just before reaching the SGA meeting, protestors received an applause from onlookers as they marched forward chanting and waving signs.
(From left) SGA freshman intern Sean Smallwood, a psychology major, watches as members from several campus groups enter Wednesday's SGA meeting to protest the student senate's decision to disallow same-sex couples from running for the homecoming court. Smallwood sits beside fellow SGA freshman interns Michael Chapman, a political science major, and Jonathan Cortina, a radio, television and film major.
Also, be sure to follow the progress of this story here, and view Charlie McRae’s video of the protestors storming Wooten Hall below:
Your first three shots are very strong, but the remaining three don’t capture the intensity of the situation as much as the first ones. Perhaps going with several tighter shots would have helped, even focusing in on specific individuals holding signs – for or against the issue. Then inside the SGA meeting some close ups would have helped.