Watch CBS News

State Fair Marriage Booth Glittered From Above

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (WCCO) -- It was a cool and pleasant day for most people attending the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday, but a few people got hit by a pop-up shower of a sort.

Gay rights activists dumped a bunch of glitter from the Skyride yesterday, and the glitter landed on the Minnesota for Marriage booth.

The people behind the booth want a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between one man and one woman.

Gay rights activists were upset about the fair's inclusion of the booth and screamed, "Where's our booth?"

They also shouted, "Equality for all."

The group claims they were denied a booth at the fair but officials say that's simply not true.

Chris Plante heard through the grapevine that his group may become a target at the State Fair. He is a member of Minnesota for Marriage, which supports marriage strictly between a man and a woman. And right before he showed up yesterday, his booth got "glitter bombed."

"We understood it might happen," he said. "Quite honestly, it says more about the other side. We are here exercising our right and that says more about the tolerance from the other side."

Nick Espinosa organized Sunday's "Glitter Raid," and it's not the first time. In May, he glittered Newt Gingrich when he was in town because he said Gingrich is against marriage for everyone.

"It's nice for us to see that with just a few bags of glitter and some creativity, we are bringing up serious issues to voters," he said. "Yeah, we are excited about it."

Espinosa calls his group "The Glitterati." He said Sunday's glittering was organized because a group called Minnesotans United for All Families was denied a booth.

"Glitter just seemed like a fitting response," he said.

On their Facebook page, that group denied any involvement in the glitter bomb.

Jerry Hammer of the State Fair said Minnesotans United for All Families was offered a booth, but did not accept, choosing instead to hand out its literature at other political booths.

"They are all the same to us. Their ideas, etc. They should be at the fair," Hammer said. "That's what the Fair is all about."

Minnesota for Marriage includes the Minnesota Family Council and the Minnesota Catholic Conference, as well as other religious and secular organizations.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.