This weekend is the National Equality March in Washington, DC. And although I am a resident of the District, I will sadly be unable to participate. The March will be the first, widespread LGBTQ rights march to descend on the Capitol since 2000, and based on previous numbers (in 1993 and 2000), organizers are expecting around 500,000 people to attend.
Plans to march on Washington were first announced immediately following the 2008 election and the passage of Prop 8 in California. In fact, I was fortunate enough to take part in an anti-Prop 8 march at the National Mall shortly thereafter. However, no sooner had organizers announced their intentions than many in the LGBTQ community begin to decry such an activity.
There really isn’t any single reason people are opposed to the March, but the concerns seem to be borne out of what seems like poor planning. The March is being held over Columbus Day weekend, and as a result, most members of Congress will not be in DC, so who exactly are we lobbying? Additionally, there are several other events occurring on the National Mall that same weekend, so some believe that our voice will be lost amongst the crowd.
Organization isn’t the only beef members of the community have with the March. A number of queer activists have pointed out the lack of racial, ethnic, and even gender diversity among the March’s organizers and speakers. Likewise, many have accused leader, Cleve Jones, of using the rally as a means to boost his own public image (Jones was good friends with Harvey Milk and portrayed by Emile Hirsch in the recent biopic).
Personally, I have been lukewarm towards the March since its inception. But no, I did not purposefully choose to leave the city the same weekend as the protest; and if I were in town, I would whole-heartedly march alongside everyone else.
I think the reason for the outcry coming from within the LGBTQ community is a lingering question that comes with organizing any such rally: Why? That is something I find myself wondering every time I’ve been invited to a protest or march. Like others, I question the effectiveness of protests – after all, hundreds of “tea partiers” (aka racists) descended upon the Capitol several weeks ago and not even the most ardent Republican Congressperson paid them any mind. So why would our march be any different?
What I’ve come to believe, and people might disagree with me, is that if nothing else, we can show the world the strength in numbers. If the March is able to match the attendees of those protests in 1993 and 2000, that would be amazing! And in this post-Prop 8 world, the supposed newly unified LGBTQ and ally community hasn’t had an opportunity to announce to the world that we’re here, we’re queer, and we are done being pushed around.
Earlier in the week, the Human Rights Campaign announced that President Obama would be speaking at their annual dinner on the eve of the March. Would he have agreed to such a request had hundreds of thousands of gays not been planning to descend on the District? Maybe not. But despite our infighting and trepidation, it looks like if nothing else, we will serve as a reminder that we aren’t backing down.
To everyone joining the March this weekend, good luck and I wish I could be there!
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@ culture_voyuer - I also am from the area and feel unfortunate that I will not be able to join in huge numbers to support justice and equity for the lgbtq community. i also feel sometimes like the white gay wealthy mens movements gets so much attention when they are but one small part of the community
@ love_and_organizing- I really like your idea about a push for a holistic approach to equality that thinks in terms of justice not just in terms of marriage.