Santorum Visits Tacoma, Leaves With Glitter in His Hair

Tacomans took full advantage of the confluence of state and national political spotlights yesterday.

At the state level, Governor Gregoire signed the marriage equality bill, inspiring many to celebrate, and others to prepare for the fight to overturn the law. King’s Books hosted a well-attended celebration of the bill, which the Tacoma City Council added to its 2012 state legislative agenda priorities last month. Other gay couples, individuals, and their friends and family celebrated separately. Meanwhile, church groups and others are making decisions on whether to support Referendum 73 Referendum 74, the challenge to the new law filed by gay marriage opponents.

Meanwhile, and not completely coincidental, the national political circus competition that is the 2012 Republican primary brought one of its acts to Tacoma. Presidential candidate Rick Santorum turned up to speak against the marriage equality act, and to hold a rally that brought out supporters as well as critics. The event was nothing if not lively, with Occupy Tacoma members performing a “mic check,” and others trying to shout him down as he spoke from the balcony overlooking the amphitheater outside the Washington State History Museum. Things got a little crazy, with shouting, arrests, more shouting, tasering, counter shouting, and eventually a “glitter bomb” (although, the event coverage from The Stranger, came up with an even more colorful term).

Setting aside the question of whether a glitter bomb send-off for a presidential candidate is or is not a shining moment for Tacoma, it was certainly an eventful day. It’s not often that Tacoma gets asked to the dance, and while we may not be as popular as, say, New Hampshire or Iowa, Tacomans certainly couldn’t be accused of playing the wallflower this time around.

Read event coverage from The News Tribune, and from The Stranger.

For the full text of the Occupy Tacoma Santorum Mic Check, visit the Occupy Tacoma Facebook page.

For more on what’s next in the legal arena, read yesterday’s article from The News Tribune.