Utopia Talk / Politics / 200,000 tea party march

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Wed Oct 14 09:27:01 sorry, 200000 gay march... WASHINGTON – People across the United States descended upon Washington, D.C., Sunday, Oct. 11, for the National Equality March in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights. The march passed the White House and concluded at a rally on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building. Speakers included LGBT civil rights advocates and community organizers, such as Judy Shephard, mother of anti-gay hate crime victim Matthew Shephard, and celebrities including Cynthia Nixon and Lady GaGa. “I have seen and witnessed so many things over the past two years and I can say with such certainty that this is the single most important moment of my career [being at the march],” said Lady GaGa, pop-music artist. “As a woman in pop music … To do my part, I refuse to accept any misogynistic and homophobic behavior in music lyrics or actions in the music industry.” Approximately 200,000 people took to the streets for the march, coming from as far as California, Canada and the U.K. Many of those in attendance were students. “Queer youth especially are isolated and marginalized, and many live in constant fear,” said Leah Matz, organizational adviser of the National Equality March Youth, Impact. “The youth space provided the opportunity for these youth to meet other people like them, learn more about their community and learn what they can do to make their own local communities ­– and the queer community at large – stronger.” A caravan of Cincinnati residents attended the march, including second-year University of Cincinnati sociology student Blake Jelley, secretary of UC Alliance and a lead organizer of Impact Cincinnati, a local LGBT civil rights advocacy group. “This is our time. This is the next movement. This is when the youth take the torch we have the energy. We have the movement behind us,” Jelley said. “We grew up in a generation that is out and proud, and [we] don’t understand why we don’t have these rights.” President Barack Obama spoke at the Human Rights Campaign’s annual national dinner on the eve of the march, the second president to do so. He discussed equality for LGBT rights. “This fight continues now, and I’m here with a simple message: I’m here with you in that fight,” Obama said. While many were pleased with Obama’s message, one found the lack of specifics frustrating. “I think it’s great he publicly affirmed his commitment to LGBT issues, but it is a lot of repetitive rhetoric,” said Cameron Tolle, fourth-year Xavier University student and a lead organizer and founder of Impact Cincinnati, who attended the HRC national dinner. “Until there is a timeline in place and we know when we get our rights, we will still continue to put heavy pressure on the [Obama] administration, as the march shows. The march was just the beginning of that.” Many march attendees and speakers are community organizers and activists at home. The principle message of the march was to continue the fight not only in Washington, but continue the grass roots organizing back home as well. “We were there because we deserve these rights, we deserve to be equal citizens and we know there is nothing less about us,” Jelley said. On a national level, the National Equality March was as an outlet for LGBT Americans and a measure of the movement’s unity. “Beyond bringing incredible attention to the queer population in America – and being a great representation of it – [the march] gave all participants a sense of solidarity,” Matz said. “It showed all these people that they were never alone.”

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