Press Release: 2008 March On Washington (Robin Tyler)
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Tom Dempsey
Jun 17, 2005, 10:12:42 AM6/17/05
to GayMarriageMarch, GayMarriage
For Immediate Release
Contact Robin Tyler
Executive Director DontAmend.Com - The Equality Campaign
robin...@dontamend.com
WE MUST MARCH ON WASHINGTON, AGAIN IN 2008
PRIDE WITHOUT CIVIL RIGHTS, IS AN ILLUSION
After initiating the first call for the 2000 Millennium March on
Washington, and watching our community rip each other apart, and leaving
that March, I swore I would never call for a LGBT March again.
I was the ‘deep throat’ who broke the story to Mike Signorile that the
FBI was investigating the missing tens of thousands of dollars, from the
‘festival’. I came away from that debacle swearing that I would never
again get caught between the insanity of the politically correct left,
and the need for major organizations to dominate, control, and
financially gain from any and every event.
Watching Elizabeth Birch, then the ED of the Human Rights Campaign, have
what escalated into a screaming argument with Kerry Lobel, then the ED
of NGLTF, in my living room, at the beginning of the March, gave me the
first indication that I did not want to spend what was left of the rest
of my life, caught in the crossfire of major egos.
I went on to happily co-found stopdrlaura, and then, to work on the
marriage-equality issue, through my own, all volunteer organization,
dontamend.com. For the first time in my political life, I was at peace.
But, that time is over. Our community is under siege. Yes, we have Will
and Grace, and Queer Eye for the straight Guy, and out performers, and
visibility.
But we do not have one civil right on a federal level, and the radical
right industry is raising tens of millions of dollars and political
capital, by making us the ultimate scapegoats.
How many state constitutional amendments need to pass before we get
angry? How many of our so-called friends in elected office, and other
Democrats, need to keep betraying us by supporting marriage segregation,
while accepting awards at LGBT dinners, as if civil rights stops at the
alter?
Where are the celebrities, who publicly ran to our defense during the
aids crisis? Do they not see the crisis we are in now? Barbara Stressed
and Cher, don’t you think your gay & lesbian children should have the
right to marry? Would you appear at our next march and say so? Madonna,
what about you? . Elton, would you come on the main stage. How about
Angela Jolie? You are honest about being a bi sexual and seem to have
courage and conviction.
This is not a march about marriage equality. This needs to be a march,
finally, demanding all civil rights for our community. What good did the
1979, 1987, 1993, and 2000 Marches do?
Well, the 1979 1st March, brought us together, and gave birth to many
organizations and new activists. During the 1987 March, we did not ask
for ‘help’ with the AIDS epidemic. We demanded immediate action. You
were either for us or against us. . We understood that this was a life
or death matter. And because of our radical stance, we made it a
national issue.
The 1993 March was the first time we were covered on television. Our own
stars came out, Melissa, Martina, Sir Ian. But, this March was
overwhelmingly in support of Bill Clinton, (as
was I) who, although he had promised to appear, and then, to send a
video, betrayed us, and did neither. He sent a written greeting. He then
went on to break his commitment and sign ‘DontAsk, DontTell’, and DOMA
(the defense of marriage act).
The 2000 Millennium March was also used as an organizing tool for the
Democratic party. Unlike the 1987 March, we were not as angry, as
demanding. We believed them. After the devastation of AIDS, nothing
seemed like a life or death matter. Well, being the targets of the
Radical Fundamentalist Right is a life or death matter.
This march must be built on an entirely different basis then the last
few Marches. In this march, there must be a litmus test: either support
full legal equality for LGBT people, including the equal right to marry,
or be prepared to catch hell from us, regardless of your party affiliation.
Too many recent marches, whether for LGBT rights or others, have focused
all of their fire on the Republicans, and what has it gotten us?
Our friends in the Democratic party keep on moving to the right. The
‘compromise’ to the filibuster, meant that the Democrats compromised
enough to allow extremely homophobic justices to be confirmed. That
wasn’t a compromise. That was the selling out of our community.
I believe that unless we show a strong and united presence prior to the
next presidential election, our community will be once again sacrificed,
and we must not remain silent..
For remaining silent at a time when the fundamentalists are
strengthening their choke hold on the political system, in the name of
‘party unity’ or ‘party loyalty’ is ceding control to those who want to
destroy us. The truth is we have no federal rights to sacrifice. Not
one. Our opponents use code terms like ‘moral values’ and pro-family’
rather then frankly stating their anti-gay hate. We must stand up to
these bullies, and to those who cater to radical religious intolerance
by hiding behind ‘tolerance’.
We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by marching in the year
that the next presidential elections are being held. We did not lose the
Democratic party the last election, they did the all by themselves.
It is time that we let go of the dream that we will advance 'inside the
tent.
The Republican politicians hate us, and most of the Democrats just want
us to shut up about equal rights and meekly deliver our votes to them.
What happened to our passion? Where is our rage.
"Besides the many anti-gay Republican politicians, it's time for
anti-equality politicians in the Democratic Party to be accountable to
this community. Period.
And so, I call on Matt Foreman, NGLTF, and Joe Solmonese, HRC, and
GLAAD, and PFLAG. And all the "Queers against the Millennium March on
Washington", and every LGBT organization, and every state group, all
community center, every LGBT person and all of our non LGBT allies who
believe in full and total civil rights for our community, all of us,
because we are under siege, to put aside all differences, and agree to
work together on the 2008 March on Washington.
Yes, Barney Frank will once again say that this will not work. Well,
Barney, we having nothing to loose. Ready or not, here we come.
"The great abolitionist activist Frederick Douglass said that 'Power
concedes nothing without a demand. Never has. Never will.' We intend
that this march will make DEMANDS on the politicians regardless of their
party affiliations, and if they oppose legal equality, if they refuse to
do the bare minimum of treating LGBT as equal human beings under the
law, we will be unflinching in our criticism of them."
The projected date for the march will be in April 2008 in Washington, DC.
This is gay pride month. Pride is self-esteem. Pride without civil
rights, is an illusion.
For those interested in helping to begin organizing, contact
robin...@dontamend.com.
# # #
Robin Tyler, called for the 1979, and 2000 LGBT Marches on Washington.
She produced the main stages at the 1979, 1987, and 2003 Marches.
Source: http://www.dontamend.com/
Contact Robin Tyler
Executive Director DontAmend.Com - The Equality Campaign
robin...@dontamend.com
WE MUST MARCH ON WASHINGTON, AGAIN IN 2008
PRIDE WITHOUT CIVIL RIGHTS, IS AN ILLUSION
After initiating the first call for the 2000 Millennium March on
Washington, and watching our community rip each other apart, and leaving
that March, I swore I would never call for a LGBT March again.
I was the ‘deep throat’ who broke the story to Mike Signorile that the
FBI was investigating the missing tens of thousands of dollars, from the
‘festival’. I came away from that debacle swearing that I would never
again get caught between the insanity of the politically correct left,
and the need for major organizations to dominate, control, and
financially gain from any and every event.
Watching Elizabeth Birch, then the ED of the Human Rights Campaign, have
what escalated into a screaming argument with Kerry Lobel, then the ED
of NGLTF, in my living room, at the beginning of the March, gave me the
first indication that I did not want to spend what was left of the rest
of my life, caught in the crossfire of major egos.
I went on to happily co-found stopdrlaura, and then, to work on the
marriage-equality issue, through my own, all volunteer organization,
dontamend.com. For the first time in my political life, I was at peace.
But, that time is over. Our community is under siege. Yes, we have Will
and Grace, and Queer Eye for the straight Guy, and out performers, and
visibility.
But we do not have one civil right on a federal level, and the radical
right industry is raising tens of millions of dollars and political
capital, by making us the ultimate scapegoats.
How many state constitutional amendments need to pass before we get
angry? How many of our so-called friends in elected office, and other
Democrats, need to keep betraying us by supporting marriage segregation,
while accepting awards at LGBT dinners, as if civil rights stops at the
alter?
Where are the celebrities, who publicly ran to our defense during the
aids crisis? Do they not see the crisis we are in now? Barbara Stressed
and Cher, don’t you think your gay & lesbian children should have the
right to marry? Would you appear at our next march and say so? Madonna,
what about you? . Elton, would you come on the main stage. How about
Angela Jolie? You are honest about being a bi sexual and seem to have
courage and conviction.
This is not a march about marriage equality. This needs to be a march,
finally, demanding all civil rights for our community. What good did the
1979, 1987, 1993, and 2000 Marches do?
Well, the 1979 1st March, brought us together, and gave birth to many
organizations and new activists. During the 1987 March, we did not ask
for ‘help’ with the AIDS epidemic. We demanded immediate action. You
were either for us or against us. . We understood that this was a life
or death matter. And because of our radical stance, we made it a
national issue.
The 1993 March was the first time we were covered on television. Our own
stars came out, Melissa, Martina, Sir Ian. But, this March was
overwhelmingly in support of Bill Clinton, (as
was I) who, although he had promised to appear, and then, to send a
video, betrayed us, and did neither. He sent a written greeting. He then
went on to break his commitment and sign ‘DontAsk, DontTell’, and DOMA
(the defense of marriage act).
The 2000 Millennium March was also used as an organizing tool for the
Democratic party. Unlike the 1987 March, we were not as angry, as
demanding. We believed them. After the devastation of AIDS, nothing
seemed like a life or death matter. Well, being the targets of the
Radical Fundamentalist Right is a life or death matter.
This march must be built on an entirely different basis then the last
few Marches. In this march, there must be a litmus test: either support
full legal equality for LGBT people, including the equal right to marry,
or be prepared to catch hell from us, regardless of your party affiliation.
Too many recent marches, whether for LGBT rights or others, have focused
all of their fire on the Republicans, and what has it gotten us?
Our friends in the Democratic party keep on moving to the right. The
‘compromise’ to the filibuster, meant that the Democrats compromised
enough to allow extremely homophobic justices to be confirmed. That
wasn’t a compromise. That was the selling out of our community.
I believe that unless we show a strong and united presence prior to the
next presidential election, our community will be once again sacrificed,
and we must not remain silent..
For remaining silent at a time when the fundamentalists are
strengthening their choke hold on the political system, in the name of
‘party unity’ or ‘party loyalty’ is ceding control to those who want to
destroy us. The truth is we have no federal rights to sacrifice. Not
one. Our opponents use code terms like ‘moral values’ and pro-family’
rather then frankly stating their anti-gay hate. We must stand up to
these bullies, and to those who cater to radical religious intolerance
by hiding behind ‘tolerance’.
We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by marching in the year
that the next presidential elections are being held. We did not lose the
Democratic party the last election, they did the all by themselves.
It is time that we let go of the dream that we will advance 'inside the
tent.
The Republican politicians hate us, and most of the Democrats just want
us to shut up about equal rights and meekly deliver our votes to them.
What happened to our passion? Where is our rage.
"Besides the many anti-gay Republican politicians, it's time for
anti-equality politicians in the Democratic Party to be accountable to
this community. Period.
And so, I call on Matt Foreman, NGLTF, and Joe Solmonese, HRC, and
GLAAD, and PFLAG. And all the "Queers against the Millennium March on
Washington", and every LGBT organization, and every state group, all
community center, every LGBT person and all of our non LGBT allies who
believe in full and total civil rights for our community, all of us,
because we are under siege, to put aside all differences, and agree to
work together on the 2008 March on Washington.
Yes, Barney Frank will once again say that this will not work. Well,
Barney, we having nothing to loose. Ready or not, here we come.
"The great abolitionist activist Frederick Douglass said that 'Power
concedes nothing without a demand. Never has. Never will.' We intend
that this march will make DEMANDS on the politicians regardless of their
party affiliations, and if they oppose legal equality, if they refuse to
do the bare minimum of treating LGBT as equal human beings under the
law, we will be unflinching in our criticism of them."
The projected date for the march will be in April 2008 in Washington, DC.
This is gay pride month. Pride is self-esteem. Pride without civil
rights, is an illusion.
For those interested in helping to begin organizing, contact
robin...@dontamend.com.
# # #
Robin Tyler, called for the 1979, and 2000 LGBT Marches on Washington.
She produced the main stages at the 1979, 1987, and 2003 Marches.
Source: http://www.dontamend.com/
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