Will the National Equality March help us - or hurt us?

[DeadElephant_ORG]

The march on Washington for gay rights - the National Equality March - is two months out. I have not heard any discussion of the community culture that we will present at that important event. A march on the capital to demand civil and human rights is a solemn undertaking. The media will cover it as such. And of course the harpies of the Right will exploit any hint that our community fails to appreciate the solemnity of the nation's capital, and the history of that place.

I've attended the San Francisco Pride Parade many times, and I've always enjoyed the energy of it. I appreciate that the exuberance symbolizes the freedoms that we have won. But if the National Equality March on October 10th looks anything like - and I mean anything like - the Pride Parade, I'm concerned that we would screw ourselves, and we would screw the entire progressive cause, very severely. Even little things that we think are charming and funny, such as this "Healthy Penis" which the San Francisco Health Department entered in the 2005 Pride Parade to promote safer sex, in the context of the National Mall would be disastrously inappropriate.



Am I alone in this fear? Am I out of line?

For what it's worth...
I'm a straight progressive activist of many years. I have put myself on the line for marriage equality, for the end of "Don't Ask Don't Tell, and for civil protection for the LGBT community from hate crimes. My daughter has two moms.

[DeadElephant_ORG]

1. deafening silence. I'm more concerned than before I asked. n/t

[DeadElephant_ORG]

2. Sorry, but I'm certain I'm not the only one concerned. Are we too chicken to even TALK about it?

[jimcarlton32]

3. I'm a huge supporter of equal rights for gays.

Have been my whole life, but I do have to agree that stuff like this does more damage then help. Walking around main street dressed as a giant penis is not going to do anything to help win over the people who are leery about the subject.

[Ex Lurker]

4. with the caveat that all I know about this is what I've heard on the radio

it seems that the organizers are trying to make this a serious event. They haven't addressed the points you made directly, but they've said no parties, no celebrities, etc. Whether they can enforce this is another matter--I'm guessing not, if people want to act flamboyantly there's not much that can be done about it. But they are aware of concerns like yours. Again, I don't have anything to do with this march, but have heard a couple of interviews on the radio.

[Capn Sunshine]

5. I'll just ask this

Why do I see these concern troll posts before every GLBT rally of any scope?

[DeadElephant_ORG]

6. because only a rally of large scope, GLBT or otherwise, can do large good or large harm

Do you acknowledge that GLBT rallies in particular have often pushed the edge of public decency?

What do YOU expect the DC march culture to be?

And why, exactly, does raising that question make me a "troll"?