When gay activists were calling on America to rally in Washington this October, they were calling their project the “National Equality March.” Last week, when lead organizer Cleve Jones announced he secured a permit to rally on Washington’s West Lawn, a poster was revealed and the project had a new name, “Meet on the Mall.” Less than a week later, the two-hour march and two-hour rally has yet another new moniker: “Equality Across America.” It’s also been relocated to … the National Mall! Well, it will be, once (or if) Jones can secure a permit.
Notes Jones, who continues to battle back against criticism that says the march is a bad idea: “The biggest challenge is not getting people to view this march through the lens of previous marches.” You don’t need an exec at Ogilvy to tell you: Sticking to consistent branding would help with that.
He’s budgeting the whole thing at around $150,000, and no more than $200,000 — which he hopes to stay within by not renting office space, paying staff, or flying in and accommodating press-generating celebrity speakers. The only big ticket items he’s paying for? A sound system, and a place for you to take a dump.
Terry
Looks like I’ll be going to Washington 🙂
osocubano
I’ll be leaving Washington.
ChristopherM
I like the idea in theory, but this just looks like chaos. I have more productive things to do with my limited funds.
hardmannyc
Waste of money and resources. Our battles are on the local fronts. Hasn’t the state-by-state marriage battle taught us anything?
SM
@hardmannyc:
I agree with you. While the gay community is fighting amongst themsleves and lashing out at Obama, NOM has made a serious power move in New York. I had a front row seat to how organized these churches and people are with Proposition 8 and they have MONEY. They mean business. It was insane.
There are millions of gay people in the United States, I should have never gone to a rally in conservative OC with only 20 people when the gay communities civil rights were on the chopping block.
The people in Iran have me convinced they are serious they want change and are fighting for their right.
Whup-ass Master
I’m okay with the march. Maybe Obama might glance from his window at 1600 Pennsylvania and remember who voted him in.
Alex
@Whup-ass Master:
Obama won’t even be there that weekend.
This march is a great idea, IN THEORY. Like all great ideas it needs equally great organizing, and that’s what it’s lacking.
I hope gay people come to their good senses and skip this and any other event until it’s planned correctly. We don’t need to show the world that we’re the only civil rights movement that can’t properly organize.
galefan2004
I don’t know why this dude is so hell bent on this march of stupidity other than that he likes having his name in print. Seriously, if this dude wasn’t an attention whore he would have realized how stupid this idea is by now. I would rather see $4000 (per state) used on the state level than blown on a march.
Bill Perdue
@osocubano: @galefan2004: @Alex: @SM: @hardmannyc: Right wing bigot enablers and apologists like this sorry collection above are quite correct to fear the kind of activism and militancy that marches like this will help create.
March on Washington to Dump Clinton’s DOMA and DADT, for the original ENDA, and to Dump Barney Frank, the Democrats (and their Republican bed partners).
Martha
right on, Bill !
Down with Democrat duplicity
Snap Out of It!
He doesn’t need to change the name, he needs to CHANGE THE FUCKING DAY, THE FUCKING WEEKEND!
The one he moronically insists upon simply because it’s National Coming Out day keeps pretending that it doesn’t matter that it will also be NO ONE HOME DAY! That’s not synergy its fucking insanity.
That’s a three-day, federal holiday weekend, the last long weekend of the year when the weather has any chance of being pleasant. Congress won’t just not be in session, they’ll be GONE. Les Obamas no doubt will take advantage of the federal holiday and be gone, too.
So who’s going to be left in DC? NO ONE WITH ANY POWER to do anything about gay equality. And if you don’t have a PARTNER in government to influence about those laws you want changed, what are you left with?
Masturbation. At best a giant circle jerk…..albeit with a sound system and somewhere to poo.
Alex
@ChristopherM: It looks like chaos because Queerty is covering every change as a crazy flip-flop caused by the incompetence of all those stupid old white gay men.
@Alex: You have Obama’s schedule four months in advance?
Alex
@Alex: For the date and weekend listed, yes, and you could know that without me telling you if you did some simple research.
Bill, just a bit of advice. Calling your allies apologist because they don’t agree with a slapstick shindig probably isn’t the way to go.
Bill Perdue
@Alex: I don’t confuse allies with opponents of the March on Washington no matter their purported reason. It seems to me their real reason is that they fear mass action and many opponents of the march are simply reactionaries.
You’re not capable of judging the competence of it’s organizers at this point except by conjecture and guesswork. It looks like it’ll be quite successful judging from comments on the blog. But if the worse happens and it not very large, which seems highly unlikely it will still have provided a focus for mass action independent of the Democrats and their now out in the open bigotry.
People who oppose it will claim it’s a failure and people who oppose Obama will reckon it a success if it helps propel the movement in an independent direction.
Petrarch
These old queens have nothing better to do than organize yet another march? How inventive. I thought we, the gays, were supposed to be more creative. As soon as the media stops focusing on these GLAAD bags is when I’ll start paying attention.
I realize how I sound but I’m jaded and none too eager to play the Kumbaya chords anymore.
SFNative
@hardmannyc:
We have to take this to the Federal level. Going state by state will take much, much longer, and the core issues we face are at the Federal level.
SFNative
To Queerty:
How much do you think you’re tabloid-style covering of serious LGBT civil rights matters will help or hurt our cause?
Brian
VERY IMPORTANT MATH:
IF 500,000 gay people go to March in Washington they will spend an average of $500 each or $250 million dollars. That’s a quarter of a Billion dollars!
IS THIS A GOOD USE OF OUR RESOURCES FOR A MENTION ON THE EVENING NEWS? WILL IT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
JUST IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH WITH $250 MILLION DOLLARS.
Think of something. This March is a waste of money and effort.