DC March for Equality: A Success

Published in the Rainbow Times

by J.M. Sorrell and Gary Lapon

JM:

Early last summer, I heard that a grassroots national march was being considered for LGBT equality in DC. My immediate internal response was to feel we should have a bus from western Massachusetts. A woman I met at a rally suggested I contact Gary Lapon, an ally and a socialist, to help with organizing.

We met regularly and began spreading the word. Before I knew it, Gary reserved TWO buses and was convinced they would be filled. He met with Five College students, and helped inspire a third bus (Hampshire College).

My two jobs precluded me from going to DC, so I was happy to support the process and be with Gary in spirit. Gary did fill those buses, and I suspect there is no stopping him as the work continues. He is one of my heroes. I asked him these questions:

JM: Describe your interest in the march. How did you come to this place?

I was excited by the response to the passage of Proposition 8, which took away same-sex marriage in California. Tens of thousands of predominately young people took to the streets in anger in California, joined by similar numbers across the country. I take a principled stand against all forms of oppression and believe that real change requires the self-activity of regular people, so I was inspired by reports of a new, youthful, diverse, largely working class LGBT movement and wanted to help it take the next step: a national march for full civil equality.

The contradiction between growing support for LGBT equality and the discrimination still on the books at the federal, state, and local level is large enough to drive a movement through, and given the hopes and confidence of a young generation that just played a leading role in electing an African American President in a country based on slavery, I became convinced that the potential exists to build a new civil rights movement for LGBT equality.

I met a wonderful group of activists who came together to make this happen; the Rainbow Times, Pride & Joy, Out For Reel film festival, and Amherst Community Television all provided us with free publicity, which is greatly appreciated.

JM: What excited you the most about your experience at the DC march/rally? Any surprises?

I was surprised by the turnout of over 200,000 people. The march was organized in large part by new activists with limited resources, only 1 paid organizer, less than $250,000, no corporate sponsorship, and very little assistance or support from mainstream LGBT rights organizations.

Given these factors, I thought that 50,000 would be a success. That so many people came out is a testament to effectiveness of independent grassroots organizing, and the demand – full civil equality for LGBT people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states, now – resonated with people who, as lead march organizer Sherry Wolf writes, are sick of “begging for crumbs.”

I was excited to collaborate with the Graduate Employees' Organization (UAW Local 2322) at UMass Amherst, whose financial support was essential. Christopher Sweetapple, a GEO organizer who played a leading role, explained the need for labor to support LGBT equality:

“Economic justice is crucial to fighting all other forms of oppression, and thus unions like ours support the struggles of many minorities--LGBT people against homo/transphobia, but also the struggles of non-whites against persistent racial oppression, women against...misogyny and people of differing physical abilities to find accommodation and respect in society...second, there are members within our unions--gay men, trans and bisexual people, lesbians-- who suffer from legalized discrimination right now...”

Also inspiring was the talent and enthusiasm of students from UMass and Hampshire College. Madeline Burrows, Hampshire class of 2013 and a leader in bringing a bus of over 50 Hampshire students, explained:

“This generation of students [faces] a looming contradiction: we’ve grown up in a society far more open to sexuality and gender variance than ever before, but LGBT Americans lack basic civil rights. With huge budget cuts less students are able to afford college...lacking job security due to discrimination takes on a whole new meaning in this economic crisis. Students played a leading role in the sit-ins that sparked the civil rights movement that overthrew Jim Crow in the 1960s, and students today are playing a leading role in initiating building a civil rights front on college campuses across the country.”

JM: What now?

The next step is to build a local chapter of Equality Across America (over 20 of us are already involved), composed of students and others, to continue to educate, agitate, and organize for LGBT civil rights.

We need your talent and energy, whether you're LGBT or an ally, a student or a worker, an experienced activist or someone getting involved for the first time. Join us and let's make history by making LGBT inequality history!

Check us out online at equalitywmass.blogspot.com and get involved in our era's civil rights movement!