Petrelis Files

SF Gay Papers Prove No Traffic
Blocked by GetEQUAL?

Last Friday the popular gay news site Towleroad ran this headline:" GetEQUAL Blocks Traffic in San Francisco."

That was based only on a release from GE, and Towleroad referenced the supposed traffic blocking, in their write up: "At this posting the traffic blocking was beginning, according to Twitter posts. More as it develops..."

The photos used for that posting showed protestors standing on the sidewalk at Castro and Market streets, not actually in the roadway.

Today, both local gay newpapers, the Bay Area Reporter and the Bay Times, both ran photos and stories on the action a week ago, and after looking at the photos, one is forced to ask a question. Where is the blocked traffic?



The photo above was snapped by the BAR's freelancer Matt Baume, and shows not a single auto, truck, motorcycle or bike being blocked by GE. The buses on the slope are parked there because it's a bus route terminus. Looks to me like the police helpfully diverted the traffic, so drivers weren't inconvenienced much, a standard tactic to keep traffic flowing and allowing protestors to carry out their performance art.



This uncredited photo ran on the front page of the Bay Times, showing a great panoramic view of Market Street, all six lanes of it, at Castro Street, with a street care and the rainbow flag blowing in the wind, and the protestors's banner visible. Where is the blocked traffic? No vehicles, either moving or stopped, appear in the image.

Here's a radical notion. Let's ask GE, and the blogs that carry their releases and photos, to prove their claims. This would greatly help move GE out of the Astroturf category it now resides in, and help popular blogs play something of an accountability role toward the org.

If anyone has a photo clearly showed vehicular traffic blocked by GE folks last Friday, please share it.