Over 100,000 protesters across the country and across the globe attended rallies and marched on Saturday in protest of California's Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage. From Fairbanks, Alaska, where 32 people stood with signs in 6 degree weather as snow fell to San Diego, where 25,000 people marched on an unseasonably hot autumn day that reached into the 90s, supporters of civil rights demanded equality.

"This is the first time in U.S. history that the majority voted to strip the rights of a minority. Who will be next?" asked Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lori Jean, who also credited young people as the driving force of the movement, saying "We now pass the torch to you!" The protests, organized via the website www.jointheimpact.com, spread through sites like Facebook, Myspace & Twitter.

Many of you sent in photos, videos and stories of the day. After the jump, we present some of these snapshots from across the country. You may want to grab a hankie.

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Columbus Circle in New York City was filled with chants of "Gay, Straight, Black, White, Marriage is a Civil Right!" as thousands of protesters came out in opposition to California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California last week. The event was the largest protest outside of California so far and shows how quickly and rapidly organized opposition to Prop 8. has sprung up across the country.

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We're as shocked as anyone that Southern California has become a hotbed of political activism, but nothing's more surprising than Angelino Prop. 8 protesters' willingness to walk long distances for many hours to make their point. This is a city where people drive to the corner market– maybe we were just saving it up for good use.

As inspiration/throw-down for tonight's protest in New York City at 6:30 pm, by the Manhattan Mormon Temple (125 Columbus Ave at 65th Street), we're including a map of Saturday's Los Angeles protest route– and the equivalent distance overlaid on Manhattan. We sent you to Greenpoint, because we have a secret kielbasa agenda.

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One of the good/scary/useful things coming out of Proposition 8's passage is that it's started a conversation within the gay community about its identity and future. Not all of it's pretty, however– and with 70% of black voters supporting Prop. 8, much of the discussion centers on race, with it sometimes boiling over into N-bombs being hurled on the street. Seriously people?  Queerty breaks down your race war conversation into easy talking points.

"Obama caused Prop. 8 to pass!": With black folks coming out in huge numbers to support Barack Obama, enough Black people voted to pass the proposition, goes this argument. The problem is that there just aren't that many black people to have changed the outcome one way or another. In California, blacks are the only ethnic group to be declining in population.

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Photo: Jonathan Alcorn

In what more than one protester has described as "the second Stonewall", Californians across the state have taken to the streets in spontaneous demonstrations to protest the passage of Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling in May that allowed it. Here's a brief rundown of the past five days:

Day One (Nov. 5th):

While the rest of the world celebrated the election of Barack Obama, opponents of Proposition 8 gathered in gay enclaves like West Hollywood and San Francisco to hold impromptu rallies. In Los Angeles, a group of approximately 1,500 people, mostly younger, left the rally while it was still ongoing and marched up to Sunset Boulevard, forcing street closures. Police managed to divide the group, keeping 2/3 within West Hollywood.

The remaining group marched to the CNN building in Hollywood and then up to Hollywood & Highland, L.A.'s version of Times Square, where police barricading the group from entering the intersection. A tense standoff ensued, with some protesters breaking through the police lines and two being beaten by the police with billy clubs.

In all, four separate groups, about 3,000 people total, marched throughout Hollywood, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood throughout the night, with protesters holding a sit down protest at Sunset and La Cienega til 2:30am. Seven people were arrested.

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Britain's Unitarians are playing hard ball!

Rather than work within "unjust" nuptial laws, the 300 year old Newington Green Unitarian Church has suspended all official weddings until gay people are given equal treatment. They will, instead, offer blessing for straight and gay couples who have gone through a civil ceremony.

Said Minister Andrew Pakula:

When we realized the extent of the injustice in the existing civil partnership law which completely prohibits any connection between religion and civil partnerships, we decided it just wasn't something we could take part in.

We have at this point continued to do blessings and civil partnership blessings so anyone who has done the legal business in the town hall can come to us and do a gorgeous religious celebration.

Pakula also said that his church is doing its part in combating more exclusive, dominating churches: "…We feel it is our duty to stand up on the other side. We are standing on the side of love here and that is our stance."

Thirteen gay activists have been cleared of any charges in a December election protest. The crowd gathered at a polling in station and destroyed their ballots to protest the government's gay-exclusive policies. Pink News UK provides more details:

Thirteen activists were detained inside the polling station, among them the organisers of Moscow Pride Nikolai Alexeyev, Nicolas Baev and Alexei Davydov.
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Mr Alexeyev was arrested after he wrote "No to homophobes, no to Luzhkov" on his ballot.

In Russia, spoiling the ballot is a form of protest.

Today a Moscow magistrates court ruled that none of the arrested protesters would be prosecuted. Two police officers who allegedly took part in detaining the activists were questioned by magistrates.

Great! Now Alexeyev just needs to tackle those slander charges for last year's political outing.

Folks in California may get a glimpse of self-proclaimed "lesbian soccer mom" Jennifer Schumaker, as she walks her way up from San Diego to San Francisco for her "Walk For Togetherness," to raise awareness for the LGBT struggle for equality.

Shumaker says she is walking to prove how "In many ways, it is easier to walk 500 miles than to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in America." Perhaps there is truth to her claim, based on the fact that her soccer-mom status means at least she has the benefit of wearing sensible shoes.

Apparently you can call her at (760) 877-4396–did she really put her phone number on the internet?–and of course we will be calling her twenty times a day, although we promise we'll be really nice. We totally dig Miss Jennifer, and believe her message is quite clever. If you see her, say hi, give her a bottle of water, whatever. You can also go to her website and make donations to the walk, or read her blog.