Were you there? I couldn’t be in D.C. in person last Sunday, but I watched on C-SPAN and tweeted with #NEM as high profile movie stars, musicians, writers, activists and other leaders followed one another in rapid succession with their powerful voices for ALL civil rights. Lady Gaga, Judy Shepherd, Julian Bond, Cynthia Nixon, Kate Clinton, Stacyann Chin, Billie Myers, Michelle Clunie, Dan Choi, Cleve Jones, Lance Black – the list seemed endless. It was a long afternoon, but since I tuned in late I hung out till the very end. Here are some of the lines I found most moving:
Michelle Clunie: “This is no longer a gay rights movement – this is a civil rights movement.”
Staceyann Chin: “Every right for every resident!”
Angela Green: “We either educate our children, or we bury our children.”
Cleve Jones: “There’s no such thing as a fraction of equality.” “You must promise to go home and do the work that is necessary. It won’t be as exciting as this march.”
Dan Choi: “Patience is not a plan. Silence is not a strategy”
Julian Bond: “We have a lot of real and serious problems in this country, and same-sex marriage is not one of them.” “No people of good will should oppose marriage equality.” “Rights for Gays and Lesbians aren’t special rights … It isn’t special to be free from discrimination.”
I saw a great tee-shirt: “Homophobia – now THAT’s a choice!”
And there were some pretty good tweets: “Iwomoto: Instead of asking is sexuality nurture vs. nature – ask is bigotry biological?” (via @rodmccullom). “Inter-racial couple holding sign @ National Equality March in DC today saying ‘our marriage was once illegal too.’ That says it all” (via @sourbear). “If you hear the word LOVERS and all you can think of is a MAN and a WOMAN, then you have straight privilege” (via @blogdiva)
Probably it was Judy Shepherd who moved me most, in spite of being brief. My son came out to us as gay barely a month before the death of Judy’s son in 1998. I was terrified then and I am still terrified by the hate that rages in the hearts of too many Americans. Here are her words: “When you leave here today, don’t forget, the work is being done by you. The President CANNOT do it alone.”
