GAY NEWS
Equality March on Capitol Demands Action on Promises
By L. K. Regan
Published Oct 11, 2009
Published Oct 11, 2009
Thousands of LGBT people and their friends, families and supporters marched from the White House to the Capitol in Washington, DC this Sunday in the National Equality March. The event was organized to coincide with National Coming Out Day, and was intended to put pressure on the Obama administration to fulfill campaign promises of action on a variety of gay civil rights issues, prominently including Don't Ask, Don't Tell. While organizers proclaim the event a huge success, the lingering question remains: will things now change?
Estimates of the crowd's size are not yet accurate, but organizers were expecting lighter attendance than for the more celebrity-centered marches of 1979, 1987, 1993 and 2000, which drew crowds in the hundreds of thousands. This was more of a grassroots event, reflecting a younger generation impatient with slow governmental progress on issues of civil rights, and giving this march a sense of energy and political empowerment (for photos of the day, see Equality Across America's photostream, or this spread at the Huffington Post).Of course, there were some celebrity speakers at Sunday's event—actress Cynthia Nixon, for example, who told the crowd, "We are gathered here today from all over the U.S., and back home many of us are deeply embroiled in the particular local battles that we are fighting, but today is a national rally and when we walk away from here tonight, we need to walk away with a common national resolve."
Here is Cynthia Nixon's rousing speech, described by many as some of the most inspiring words of the day:
Other figures well-known to the gay community for their personal courage spoke at the march as well. Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran who is fighting his DADT discharge, spoke to the crowd, saying, "We have fought in battles to protect our country, and now we are fighting at home for equal and full protection under the law." Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, who was beaten to death in a hate crime in 1998, spoke to the crowd of the rights her son should have enjoyed: "No one has the right to tell my son whether or not he can work anywhere. Whether or not he can live wherever he wants to live and whether or not he can be with the one person he loves—no one has that right," she told the crowd. "We are all Americans. We are all equal Americans, gay, straight or whatever." Her words were given particular poignancy by the passage last week in the House of Representatives of hate crime legislation bearing her son's name.
Here's video of Judy Shepard's moving speech:
The theme of equality was a constant of the day— equal rights in marriage, in national service, in all aspects of social existence. For famous gay blogger Andrew Sullivan, this emphasis was itself an auspicious sign of progress, as he described, "the message that was louder and clearer than any march I've been to since 1987. Just equality. Not tolerance. Not protection. Nothing special. Just equality as human beings and citizens—in all things large and small. More to the point, this was not a plea for it; it was a statement of it. We are equal. We always have been."
It is against that backdrop of the gay community's higher expectations—expectations of the president, of the nation, of ourselves—that frustration with President Obama's lack of progress on major issues, such as DADT and the Defense of Marriage Act, was expressed on Sunday. To address the growing unrest, President Obama spoke at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner on Saturday night, and he again promised an end to DADT. On Sunday, however, much of the talk at the march was about the need for an end to promises, and some direct action in the near term. As march organizer Cleve Jones, an influential gay activist, told the press, ending the promises was his motivation for creating the march in the first place: "Since we've seen that"—politicians backing away from campaign promises on gay rights—"so many times before, I didn't want it to happen again. We're not settling. There's no such thing as a fraction of equality."
Estimates of the crowd's size are not yet accurate, but organizers were expecting lighter attendance than for the more celebrity-centered marches of 1979, 1987, 1993 and 2000, which drew crowds in the hundreds of thousands. This was more of a grassroots event, reflecting a younger generation impatient with slow governmental progress on issues of civil rights, and giving this march a sense of energy and political empowerment (for photos of the day, see Equality Across America's photostream, or this spread at the Huffington Post).Of course, there were some celebrity speakers at Sunday's event—actress Cynthia Nixon, for example, who told the crowd, "We are gathered here today from all over the U.S., and back home many of us are deeply embroiled in the particular local battles that we are fighting, but today is a national rally and when we walk away from here tonight, we need to walk away with a common national resolve."
Here is Cynthia Nixon's rousing speech, described by many as some of the most inspiring words of the day:
Other figures well-known to the gay community for their personal courage spoke at the march as well. Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran who is fighting his DADT discharge, spoke to the crowd, saying, "We have fought in battles to protect our country, and now we are fighting at home for equal and full protection under the law." Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, who was beaten to death in a hate crime in 1998, spoke to the crowd of the rights her son should have enjoyed: "No one has the right to tell my son whether or not he can work anywhere. Whether or not he can live wherever he wants to live and whether or not he can be with the one person he loves—no one has that right," she told the crowd. "We are all Americans. We are all equal Americans, gay, straight or whatever." Her words were given particular poignancy by the passage last week in the House of Representatives of hate crime legislation bearing her son's name.
Here's video of Judy Shepard's moving speech:
The theme of equality was a constant of the day— equal rights in marriage, in national service, in all aspects of social existence. For famous gay blogger Andrew Sullivan, this emphasis was itself an auspicious sign of progress, as he described, "the message that was louder and clearer than any march I've been to since 1987. Just equality. Not tolerance. Not protection. Nothing special. Just equality as human beings and citizens—in all things large and small. More to the point, this was not a plea for it; it was a statement of it. We are equal. We always have been."
It is against that backdrop of the gay community's higher expectations—expectations of the president, of the nation, of ourselves—that frustration with President Obama's lack of progress on major issues, such as DADT and the Defense of Marriage Act, was expressed on Sunday. To address the growing unrest, President Obama spoke at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner on Saturday night, and he again promised an end to DADT. On Sunday, however, much of the talk at the march was about the need for an end to promises, and some direct action in the near term. As march organizer Cleve Jones, an influential gay activist, told the press, ending the promises was his motivation for creating the march in the first place: "Since we've seen that"—politicians backing away from campaign promises on gay rights—"so many times before, I didn't want it to happen again. We're not settling. There's no such thing as a fraction of equality."
Barley12 wrote:
I think the quote at the end by Cleve Jones is extremely powerful, at least for me.
I was talking to my cousin who lives in Texas and she just said, "I can't believe...I can't believe that were still actually fighting for our rights in the 21st century." So true. I know I'll continue to do what I can to advance the fight a little bit each day, until we can have our rights.
Oct 12 8:42 PM
TheIStrat wrote:
I was there for my boyfriend celebrating our 2nd year anniversary. It was amazing and inspiring. They were right. The time for tolerance is OVER. Now we demand full equality and we will not let up until we have it.
Oct 12 12:58 PM
UnifiedAron04 wrote:
Dear Americans,
As touching as these videos were, & the amazing numbers that were seen in audience levels in both videos this is but a step in a steep uphill battle to regain not only our freedoms but our country. The equal rights for gays is just ONE of the MANY rights & needs that need to be met by the President, Congress, & Governing Legislation. The problem is that the numbers of people as well as the influence have NOT been enough to make that full change needed. Now I'm not saying it's not possible for the people of America to do this & get this country moving in the direction where it & it's influences see us as people & the ones responsible for making it run. But these types of rallies need to be held for the MANY following issues that have been displayed before American society. Yet being rational I know that you can't build "Rome" in a day, but with the MANY issues ranging from a Health Care Bill we can't afford to the ever worsening economic problem WE as a country don't have much time! If ANY have been paying attention to the ever shrinking rights of the American citizen you'd know that fighting for equal rights as a gay person or such is at risk of being rejected if not completely dismissed all together. I feel we as Americans can & will make the change but most if not all will, like Ms. Shepard said "Have to get educated & do the research" as well as get ready. Because what's in store is NOT for our benefit nor is it in our best interest as American Citizens. And the problem with being optimistic about Obama is that he is controlled through all of this by British/Shadow Government, as well as our government is heavily influenced by the families & foreign bankers that ALL have an agenda in the end. Some of you may know what I mean, if so spread the word. My point is, rallies like these are nice concerning rights & freedoms, but unfortunately the opposition which is WAY beyond "voting&qu
Oct 12 6:55 AM