The Student Coalition for Marriage Equality, equipped with fliers and posters, stopped students walking through Bruin Plaza on Friday and asked, “If you were president, would you support same-sex marriage?”
The organization’s event, “If I Were President,” sought to educate students about same-sex marriage legislation and other pieces of legislation that touch on civil rights issues.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the group discussed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights with passing students. Students were also invited to view four large posters promoting legislation on issues such as eliminating discrimination in the work place and the military based on sexual orientation.
The organization focused on educating the student body about the political stances of both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates in regard to these issues.
“By the end of the day, we hope that people will have more information for better decisions,” said Rachel Zwass, president of the coalition.
Stephanie Martinez, a first-year international development studies student, tabled next to the event throughout the day. She said she saw a very positive response from the general student body toward the group.
“They are invoking a lot of healthy discussions on gay marriage and civil unions,” Martinez said. “They are bringing light on a lot of the finer issues the student body doesn’t really know about.”
Martinez said that considering the large volume of the student body, the group was very effective in speaking with a large number of students passing by.
Zwass said the organization hoped to stress the importance of being up to date on current political issues. She said the upcoming elections could play a major role in the outcome of the LGBT community’s civil rights.
Currently, only one presidential candidate, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, publicly supports full marriage equality, while other Democratic candidates, such as Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary R. Clinton only support civil unions.
With the exception of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who supports civil unions, the leading Republican candidates support neither.
“We would like to get people more involved so they can demand from their presidential candidates support toward LGBT rights,” said Nickolas McColl, vice president of the Student Coalition for Marriage Equality.
McColl said he believes Republicans avoid the issue, while the majority of the Democratic Party continues to only support civil unions and not same-sex marriages.
He said he would like to see the presidential candidates fully support the LGBT community by supporting same-sex marriage as opposed to taking a halfway stance to appeal to voters.
Kyle Kleckner, president of Bruin Democrats, said he believes marriage is a fundamental right that should be available to all Americans.
“I think that it’s important to realize progress takes time. Civil rights for everyone didn’t happen overnight. If you look at Democratic views today instead of 10 years ago, it has been really progressive,” said Kleckner.
The Bruin Republicans do not take an official stance on LGBT rights and related civil issues concerning same-sex marriages.
Martinez said that, regardless of current politics, the majority of students at UCLA struggle to find their own stance. She said she believes that events such as “If I Were President” help move students to what they believe.
Both Zwass and McColl said they see students playing a crucial role in the future of LGBT legislation.
“Students might not always have a voice, but they do have time and a vote,” Zwass said.
“By making informed decisions, they can make their voices heard.”