The March and the Speech

Me, marching in D.C., at AIDSWalk in 1997. I'm the fourth from the left in the front row! Thanks to Tiffany, far right of the front row, for this picture!

I have kept my views on the National Equality March, which took place on Sunday, and President Obama’s address at the Human Rights Campaign’s national dinner, which took place the night before that, to Twitter and in private discussions, mostly because of the fact that I believe these events can only be analyzed with the benefit of time.  They can and should be discussed now, and I’ve used Twitter for that. But, at this point, I don’t think we can know the long-term impact or import of either event.

I will, however, direct folks to the four posts that I’ve written at Law Dork that converged — physically and in spirit — with this weekend’s events.

In February, I wrote about “The Freedom to Marry,” and raised the discussion of a new generation of LGBT leaders in the aftermath of the California vote for Proposition 8:

Until she woke up on November 5, 2008, a lesbian who came out in the past few years wasn’t necessarily made a part of the movement for lesbian and gay equality because she, among her peers, does not live in a world in which such a movement is needed.  It wasn’t until a young gay man saw that, outside of his Facebook college network, there were significant numbers of people—a majority of voters even in “ultra-liberal” California—who opposed his right to marry that he was called to join the movement. . . .

Now, all at once, several years of potential LGBT activists—and their friends and colleagues—have been forced to face the reality of discrimination.  They are taking action, and they will make a difference.  Holding hands with their loved one was not, until November 5, a step they saw as political.  It was just being.  Now, however, the vote on Proposition 8 has activated their activism, and we are better for it.

Then, as we awaited word of the California Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, I wrote about “Anger, Leadership and Change“:

Momentum is on our side, and today’s decision could provide us with a great opportunity.  It is not, however, the opportunity to bash the court or otherwise misplace our anger about the slowness of our path to equality.  The opportunity will be to organize, to educate and continue to expand equality across the country.

We likely will feel injured, once again, today if the court upholds Proposition 8.  But, rather than some inchoate anger at the court, I actually believe the injury we will be feeling is the renewed focus on the hurtful vote of last November.

Then, at the “Meet in the Middle” rally following the court’s ruling that upheld Proposition 8, Cleve Jones announced a national rally to be held on October 11.  I wrote:

Recall how out of the loop the national and state organizations seemed to be as the Join the Impact protests of Proposition 8 began bubbling up?  The impact of their disengagement went both ways.  The events weren’t as “pretty” as a Gay, Inc.-produced event.  The Columbus event that I attended, for example, didn’t have a clearly organized plan or speaker list.  Elected officials who would have attended did not appear to have been formally alerted of the event.

The events, though, brought out thousands and thousands of people across the nation.  Despite the lack of formal organizing help, the Internet — primarily Facebook — quickly made the events well-known to the younger, now-activated activist set.  The events led these new potential leaders to actively engage with the movement for LGBT equality as time has passed and, as I discussed earlier this week, they also led to a (permanent?) change in the forward momentum of the movement.

Finally, in the midst of all of this activity and turmoil within the LGBT community, a new president began his stay at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  President Barack Obama has the benefit of an engaged, young, activist base but also carries that burden as the slow pace of progress in Washington, D.C. is not in fitting with their expectations of the “change” candidacy of Obama.

As I wrote following Obama’s speech to LGBT activists commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots:

The President said that he wanted us to judge him not by his words but by his actions.  He said he “wants to be judged” by “the promises that my Administration keeps.”  He is not shying away from or rejecting any campaign promises; he is saying that it’s not happening overnight. . . .

In all, I think the President used today well to acknowledge our impatience while not diminishing it, saying, “It’s not for me to tell you to be patient.”  The President clearly recommitted himself and his Administration to the campaign promises he made to us.  Yes, I want to see more action, and, sure, there is room for improvement — particularly in regards to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — but I am glad to hear directly from our President that he realizes our struggle and wants to work with us — and use his role in the White House — to advance LGBT equality.

And, with those four pieces as my reference points along the journey of this year in LGBT equality, I encourage you to read others’ writings about this weekend not as a statement about what was “wrong” or “right” in the speech or at the march, but instead as one of many discussion points in the ever-evolving movement for LGBT equality.

There are many paths to equality, and we need all the forces we can muster to get there.  As such, congratulations and thank you to all who made genuine efforts this past weekend at helping make equality a reality.

[The one thing that I am willing to say, unequivocally, is that NAACP Chairman Julian Bond gave absolutely amazing speech, the YouTube video of which can be found below the jump.]

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