Fight H8. And get some exercise.

San Francisco is a politically-minded city. We're aware, we're educated, and we're angry. We're also very lazy.

People from all over the Bay Area have come to city in droves to protest the passing of Proposition 8, the ban on gay marriage. Since the election two weeks ago, there have been three protests in San Francisco. Each one complete with signs both funny and sad. Protesters of every color, shape and age clad in T-shirts bearing messages of hope and anger.

There is no publicly circulated map for these events. No planned route. There is a starting point and a starting time. Then it's up to the masses to decide where the day takes them.

My friends and I attend these protests because we are angry that Prop 8 passed. We believe in equality for all and are ashamed of our state for passing such a discriminatory amendment. Also, they're surprisingly convenient.

My friend, Jeremy, wasn't sure if he could attend the protest last Friday night. He and his boyfriend got home from work late and they had a dinner reservation for 7:30. As they were getting ready to leave, they heard shouting outside their window. As it turns out, the protesters had left Dolores Park and were marching right down his street. Jeremy and his boyfriend left the house to march with the masses and joined in on the call and response.

"We had about 20 minutes until we had to be at the restaurant," Jeremy told me. "But we were going to a place in lower Nob Hill and the protest happened to be heading right to Union Square. So we just walked with them."

I did the same thing last Sunday. The protest started at 10:30 and I had a yoga class I wanted to attend at 11am. Civic Center is about five blocks from my house, so I walked over there to check out the signs and the T-shirts. I even suggested some ideas to some of the sign-makers on the side of the road. I wanted to see a neon sign in which the bottom rung of the E flashed on and off to read "FIGHT EIGHT FIGHT EIGHT." Unfortunately, no one had any neon.

The protest lasted for about 20 minutes in front of City Hall, and then headed West on Hayes, conveniently on the way to my yoga class. Perfect, I couldn't have planned it better.

Oaklanders come in to march. Berkeleyites show their unity and anger – south bayers, north bayers, east bayers, everyone is there to show solidarity and support. But us San Franciscans, we're there cause it's on our way.

This has prompted me and Molly to write new versions of chants and cheers:

"What do we want?"
"Equal rights for all!"
"When do we want it?"
"In about 20 minutes near Powel BART!"

"We're here! We're queer! It would be great if we could head toward downtown!"

"Hey hey, ho ho, can we stop by MacDonald's bathroom? I've got to go!"

"I don't know but I've been told... Stopping for a latte really keeps out the cold!"

"2, 4, 6, 8, those scones from Tartine are really great!"

"YES WE CAN... Finish by 2 cause I've got a mani/pedi appointment)"

"Fired up! (fired up!)"
"Ready to go! (to brunch.)"