I've gotten a few inquiries from friends and readers about the planned March on Washington, aka National Equality March, so I'm posting THIS LINK to sign up for e-mailed updates about the event, slated for Oct. 10-11. (There's also a blog for the event HERE.) It's such short notice that I'm not even sure if I can get off work (they make us plan our vacation days for the entire year on Jan. 1!), but having been to the march in 1993 I certainly will do everything I can to be there.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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Excerpted from:
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/06/a_march_on_washington_for_marriage_count.php
There are 10 major reasons why this a horrible idea.
. . . .
1. Planning a huge march on Washington isn't something you can throw together in five months. There's a lot of logistics required - hotel rooms reserved, acquiring the necessary permits, coordinating with DC police, laying out the purpose, program and messaging, etc.
2. [T]he Mall is already reserved - and usually is up to a year in advance. With two other large events scheduled there already there's no way you could fit even more people in the space. My sources tell me that Cleve and Co have already been denied a permit for that day.
3. Congress isn't in session on October 11th. . . . .
4. None of this has been coordinated with anyone other than a small circle of people. . . . .
5. This year's marriage fight isn't in California. It's in Maine. Maine voters will be facing a referendum to repeal the same-sex marriage law the state recently passed. [I]t's time to move beyond and focus on where it makes the best sense strategically to make a stand. Sucking time, resources and queerpower to work on a do-nothing march on DC is a tactical mistake.
6. A march on Washington will not bring marriage equality to flyover country. It will help to prod conservatives to rally and focus energy and money into states like Maine (that could repeal marriage) or Indiana (where we've successfully fought off an amendment every year for almost a decade). . . . .
7. California is not the end-all-be-all of queer America. They've already sucked a huge amount of cash from our movement and middle America. Look at Arizona's amendment battle - which they'd already won once in an election - and how little money was donated to fight their second battle. The amendment passed this time after they were heavily outspent by the Mormons and affiliated groups. California will see marriage back on the ballot soon; they should march and organize in the state that will be voting. They need to reach California voters and not the folks in Arkansas.
8. In this economy, not too many of us can afford to take a vacation to DC on such short notice. Those of us lucky enough to still have jobs don't want to take chances asking for time off to travel to DC. . . . .
9. The majority of US queers still need basic protections from discrimination. So little emphasis has been placed on helping us achieve that basic hallmark of civil rights that a national effort is the only chance we have for protection. . . . .
10. [A]ll of Cleve's quotes are about Prop 8, California and same-sex marriage to see how the spin on this is going to go. That vague term "equality" has already been devalued from the first headline. This is a public relations nightmare for flyover country.
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