Queer Couples Are Protesting Amy Coney Barrett By Marrying En Masse

The town of Tyler, Texas, was the scene of an LGBTQ+ Marriage-A-Thon yesterday. According to CBS 19, the nonbinary "Fickle Witch" Raynie Castaneda took a break from performing oracle and tarot card readings to help five LGBTQ+ couples get married before newly-seated conservative Associate Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has a chance to rule on marriage equality.

"I really just want to fill Tyler with joy and a mutual understanding of love and how we're all human -- there's no wrong love," Castaneda said.

The event was open invitation to the public, and was attended by members of the local LGBTQ+ community, allies, and even passersby. A harpist provided live music and cakes were provided by the Cedar Creek Cookie Company. Of course, the decor was rainbow themed.

"This is a peaceful, loving demonstration," Castaneda said. "It's saying that you cannot outlaw love. You cannot repeal, revoke love."

Among those tying the knot Sunday was transgender woman Jenna Rose, who married her fiance, Tonia Casteneda (no relation to Raynie). The pair had been engaged and decided to make their marriage official at the event in part because of their concerns about Justice Barrett. They aren't the only ones: last month a flood of same-sex couples got married ahead of Barrett's confirmation.

This fear is also not unfounded. Barrett's confirmation after two sitting justices intimated that the case that passed marriage equality across the nation needed to be overturned. Justice Samuel Alito, who was one of the afforementioned sitting justices, leaned into that position in recent remaks juxtaposing marriage equality with the right to free speech, saying "one of the great challenges for the Supreme Court going forward will be to protect freedom of speech."

"We're not sure whether we can wait another year because, by that time, we may not be able to get married," Rose explained.

"There is a lot of people that do have to be closeted and everything because around here, it is hard to be out and open," Tonia added. "Like me just walking around with [Rose] holding hands. A lot of people are just not accepting, especially, with trans people."

Even those not getting married found the event special.

"This is kind of like my first-ever LGBT meetup," Hannah Crabtree said, an attendee who identifies as bisexual. "It's just very validating to know that like, I'm not the only one here in East Texas that's the way I am."

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