The Women’s March on Washington brought millions of women, men, and children out into the streets to demonstrate.
Included in those stated unity principals is the fight for LGBTQIA rights:
We firmly declare that LGBTQIA Rights are Human Rights and that it is our obligation to uplift, expand and protect the rights of our gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans or gender non-conforming brothers, sisters and siblings. We must have the power to control our bodies and be free from gender norms, expectations and stereotypes.
The huge turnout and success of the March on Washington, and the sister rallies around the globe, has inspired a National Pride March, a “mass” protest at the nation’s capital on June 11, as it coincides with Capital Pride’s June 8-11 weekend of events.
David Bruinooge, 42, lives in New York, and has friends in D.C. He was moved to start a Facebook event page announcing the event while watching the Women’s March on Washington.
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“I was watching the events unfold on TV and I was very proud and inspired by all the women, the strong women in our country who were kind of taking this to the street and getting their voices heard,” he told the Washington Blade. “And in the back of my mind as an openly gay man I thought the gay community should be doing something like this to follow up on the momentum.”
This would mark the first large-scale march on Washington since the National Equality March in 2009. Still the largest march occurred in 1993, called the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. Estimates of the crowd size vary, with organizers estimating a million in attendance, with the D.C. Police Department coming up with a similar count of 800,000 to over one million.
The first such demonstration, the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, took place in 1979, which drew around 125,000.
Organizers are encouraging those living in cities with pride events that coincide to consider staying put and attending those local offerings while marching with those in D.C. “Or even it doesn’t fall on the same weekend. We can all march in solidarity across the country,” the Facebook post continues. “Our community is large enough to fill all the Pride Events scheduled that weekend. And we will make this truly a ‘National Pride March’ together.”
This is a wise move, because it not only manages to avoid the issue of undermining the work local groups have done, but also helps set up a sister rally approach, which was successful for the Women’s March. It means that not only will media outlets report on the big event in Washington, they will be able to cover related demonstrations taking place in their own backyards, increasing total coverage.
There has been a growing sense, especially among the older generation, that a sense of complacency had set in. After all, there have been so many advances in the fight for rights since the days of the Compton’s Cafeteria and Stonewall riots.
The fight for same-sex marriage was waged and won, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repealed, and hate crime legislation was signed into law by President Obama, leading many to believe we had reached equality, even in spite of a lack of protections on the federal level, with The Equality Act continuing to languish in Congress.
The argument that there is more or less nothing to fight for, while always erroneous, is more obviously flawed now than ever.
President Donald Trump has filled his administration with individuals with a history of anti-LGBTQ views and voting records, and his Supreme Court nomination list is equally disconcerting.
The new WhiteHouse.gov has no reference of LGBTQ rights, unlike its predecessor which is now housed at ObamaWhiteHouse.gov.
The Centers for Disease Control reportedly shelved plans for an LGBTQ youth summit over concerns with how Trump would view the event.
There are also reports that The White House Office of National AIDS Policy has been closed.
Further, Trump has also said he would sign the First Amendment Defense Act into law, which would allow for religious based discrimination in such areas as healthcare, businesses, employment, and housing. His pick for Attorney General, Sen. Jeff Sessions, also recently defended the bill.
President Trump also has an admiration for the so-called leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who signed a “gay propaganda” law in 2013, making demonstrations like the LGBT March on Washington illegal in his country.
Adviser Kellyanne Conway said Trump and Putin will speak on Jan. 28 to discuss areas where they might have “common ground.”
See you all in D.C.
Kris
I’m in but slightly afraid to add my name to the facebook group now . I’m Canadian and they are stopping us at the border if you are honest in telling them that you are going to march …
Dave in Northridge
West Hollywood/Los Angeles Pride is that weekend too. If I thought for a SECOND I wasn’t going to march this year, this past week has convinced me I will.
He BGB
Better do it NOW! June 11 will be too late. Women got it together immediately after the election. Alot can happen in 4 1/2 months!
GayEGO
My lifetime partner of 55 years and I have been married for almost 13 years in Massachusetts where marriage equality was approved in 2004. We are both retired and living the American dream. We are with the LGBT community and we oppose any efforts by Trump and his cabinet to take away our equal rights.
batesmotel
Trump hasn’t taken away any rights from gays.
DCguy
Now the question is, will HRC actually be part of the solution, or will they do what they did with the last gay rights march. Since they weren’t the ones who called for it, they attacked the march, they attacked Get Equal, they attacked Dan Choi even though he was speaking for gay rights, spreading rumors about him supposedly being crazy and in a mental hospital. All because they couldn’t handle that some other group came up with the march and it caught on.
So HRC, lead follow or get out of the way, but if you pull that same crap again, you will be not much different than Log Cabin, just a group more interested in itself than in stopping people from harming lgbts
Daniel Flatten
Call them. I called LGBTQ task force, they had know idea this was going on. I stated this was on every Gay media website. What are they doing? Call them.
Brian
We need a Men’s March. What happened to pride in being male?
Or are you ashamed of being male?
Pride Marches have been taken over by women and trans activists. They have hijacked the oppression of male homosexuality.
Lvng1Tor
You never disappoint, well I mean you always disappoint…I guess what I mean is you are consistent in your disappointing responses. How insecure are you about your own manhood that so much so easily threatens it?
mz.sam
Some may not remember, there was a national men’s march in the past with a decent turnout. But the problem with it, as sighted by consensus of women from this recent march, was that men didn’t have the organization nor the generational sustainability to continue the protest where it matters.
Herman75
I hope they know how to do it and it isn’t run by a bunch of control Qweenz bickering over who gets to lead the march and so on….
Kangol
I’d say get involved, then, and you can help ensure that “control Qweenz” aren’t bickering and messing things up. Your voice counts!
JakeGG
I wonder what the explicit goals of this LGBT march could be? Would it be support for the Equality Act, ending the gay/bi blood ban, more protections & support for the most vulnerable parts of the LGBT community, getting more LGBT folks to run for office, preventing the Trump administration from rolling back protections or passing new anti-LGBT laws? I’m all for a march if we have some clear goals in mind.
Kangol
Please pass on your thoughts and vision to the organizers. They probably will welcome hearing from you, and if not, then gather people together with you to champion these concerns during the march. As the Women’s March demonstrated, multiple goals can exist side-by-side!
DCguy
There is also the simple fact of reminding them that we aren’t theoretical. That lgbts actually exist.
batesmotel
Yeah I asked the same thing. No one seems to have a clear answer as to what this is for as no rights have been taken away from gays.
Raymond Saint-Pierre
I rioted at Stonewall on July 28, 1969. I marched in 1973 in DC against the Vietnam war. I marched again in 1979 & 1993! I may need a wheelchair now, but if I’m still breathing; I will be there or here in my small rural community #STILLHERESTILLQUEER
Scribe38
Thank you so much sir. Going to work my butt off and save as much cash as I can to make it to the march.
captainburrito
Love the fire in you. 🙂
ErikO
Riiiiiiiiiight sure you rioted at Stonewall. Everyone and their mom literally claims that they have been there and rioted but very few actually really were.
silveroracle
I hope that the UK will rally in doing something similar, in respect of our American cousins.
I can’t believe that such a powerful country has taken such a bad step backwards regarding lgbtq rights.
MacAdvisor
Do we have to have a march? Couldn’t we have a picnic, or a cabaret show, or, maybe a wine tasting? I am just too old to do all that walking. How about a drive on Washington? We will fly in, rent cars, than drive around the White House causing a huge traffic jam?
batesmotel
What is this for? I’m confused. What gay rights have been taken away from us? We can still get married. Is there something else. Curious what this is for as I haven’t heard about any rights taken away from the gay community. Seems like a silly March if that’s the case. Marching for the sake of protesting is ridiculous. I’ve got work to do, but good luck marching for no reason.
ErikO
Exactly, people are just butt hurt that the Conservative Hillary is not in office. No rights have been taken away from LGBT people, and we are not second class citizens in the United States, or at risk for concentration camps, etc. that all the ignorant fear mongers will claim.
drumstick
Children: YOU CAN STILL GET FIRED FOR BEING GAY. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. NO APPEAL! It applies to all types of employment in 20+ states and to private sector jobs in 8 states. It happens. A lot. They can also deny you housing in many states.
That’s why you should march on DC
John
What I find odd is that before the election it was the Republicans who played the “fear” card scaring people of the bogey man, and the Dems getting angry saying we are not the bogey man etc…Now the Dems are playing the same exact card “fear” against the Reps…taking away your marriages, taking away your rights, taking your page from the WH website and the gays in lockstep are believing it. Why is it people arent wise enough to realize whoever is spewing “fear” is kust trying to scare you (bully you) into seeing things their way? Wise up folks.
ErikO
Exactly, people are just butt hurt that the Conservative Hillary is not in office. No rights have been taken away from LGBT people, and we are not second class citizens in the United States, or at risk for concentration camps, etc. that all the ignorant fear mongers will claim.
azani64
I was in DC for the march for Lesbian and Gay rights in 1987. Same story, different decade. I will be in Boston to visit members of my biological family as well as the family which I chose for myself. I brought ”the full force of the gay rights movement” to bear everytime I referred to my late longtime companion of 26 years as my ”partner” without fear of well, anyone or anything. And I will be wearing my #LoveTrumpsHate t-shirt. I will #be with you in #spirit, #yall. Love, A.