The National Equality March in Washington – ‘We won’t back down’
Thousands of gays and lesbians claimed the streets of Washington Sunday in a demonstration for full equality under the law.
The National Equality March took place one day after Obama made sweeping promises to the gay community, including a vow to end the military policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” – which bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces. Obama gave no timetable for repealing the policy.
Invoking Obama’s campaign slogan, ‘Yes, we can,’ activists urge that the president not wait to fulfill his promises.
Forty years after the Stonewall riots in New York launched the gay rights movement, the LGBT community is demanding full federal equality and singling out marriage, adoption, military service and workplace issues.
Joining the march were 20 cast members from the musical, “Hair.” They chose to let a Broadway matinee show go dark to come march and were led by the show’s star, Gavin Creel.
According to The Associated Press, March organizer Cleve Jones, creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and a protege of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, said he had initially discouraged a rally earlier this year. But he and others began to worry Obama was backing away from his campaign promises.
“Since we’ve seen that so many times before, I didn’t want it to happen again,” he said. “We’re not settling. There’s no such thing as a fraction of equality.”
