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On April 30, 2000, more than one million gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons will gather along with our friends and families on the Mall in Washington, DC to call for equality under the law for all citizens.
This will be the fourth national March on Washington in the history of the GLBT Movement — and follows in the tradition of earlier marches in 1979, 1987, and 1993.
For some, the March has been controversial. For others, it has been embraced as a powerful way to present our GLBT message to the nation.
Here's why the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is supporting and will be attending the Millennium March on Washington for Equality:
The March advances the GLBT movement.
The Millennium March represents a key element of a three-pronged strategy for advancing our movement. We must advance in three areas: the state governments, our national government, and the ballot box. That's why we're supporting the marches on state capitols through the Equality Begins At Home events and the Millennium March. Each event will support and sustain the other. And that's why UFMCC has embraced this powerful theme: "We're marching to our state capitals in March of 1999. We're marching to our nation's capital in April of 2000. And in November of 2000, we're marching to the ballot box."
The March follows in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Civil Rights advances.
Dr. King knew the value of marching on the nation's capital, and galvanized support for civil rights by an overwhelming presence in Washington, DC. We believe in the value of demonstrating to our nation the strength of our numbers and the passion of our commitment to justice.
The March will demonstrate the broad diversity of the GLBT communities.
This is a March for all of us. Every segment of the GLBT movement will be represented. AIDS activists, civil rights workers, families, leather folk, community organizers, children, military service members, transgendered people, people of faith, same-sex marriage proponents, youth — everyone is invited! Together we'll demonstrate the diversity of our movement.
It's already been too long.
Seven years will have passed since the last March on Washington. If we have learned any lesson, it is how quickly and easily our elected officials forget. It's time to remind our government and our nation that millions of her citizens are still denied equality.
The new millennium presents a strategic opportunity.
The dawn of a new millennium, by its very nature, heightens society's sensitivity. Commentators, the press and society at large will be looking for messages and trends for the new millennium. We have an opportunity at this strategic time to move our GLBT message to the forefront.
The year 2000 is a presidential election year.
In our society, much of our progress is contingent upon getting the ear, and then the support, of our elected officials. The presence of one million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons is designed to make our voice heard — by all of our national elected officials In addition to the Millennium March itself, one million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Americans will have an opportunity to walk the halls of our national government and make a compelling and personal case for equality for all citizens.
The March will birth a new generation of activists.
Each of our previous national marches has served to birth new activists. In fact, as with many GLBT organizations, there are many UFMCC members whose first taste of activism came through the previous Marches on Washington. With have a strategic opportunity to become intentional about using this Millennium March to inspire and birth new activists who will continue to work toward the dream of equality for all our citizens.
The Millennium March will energize our movement.
The Millennium March on Washington will energize the GLBT rights movement, strengthen all of our organizations, and present untold opportunities for gay human rights, justice and spiritual organizations to grow in terms of members, influence, accomplishments and media access.
The Millennium March's theme is focused, simple and understandable.
Our society still hasn't heard the message. We need look no further than the recent repeal of the equal rights law in Maine to know that the simple message of equality has not yet been heard and embraced. The theme of this Millennium March is simple — and designed to build allies. To accomplish the goal of equal human and civil rights, it is imperative that we strategically build allies and support throughout society. One million gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons have an opportunity to call upon our nation and its citizens to live out our nation's creed of "liberty and justice for all." Every element of this March will be focused on the call for equality, and every sub-theme will directly relate to the march's purpose.
These are some of the reasons the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches supports the Millennium March on Washington. We must use every means at our disposal to get our message out. And we must not rest until our nation's highest ideals have transcended promise and become reality for all our citizens.
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