by Keith Orr
I wish I could have been with you. I marched in 1987, 1993 and 2000. They were all incredible experiences. They left me proud and energized.
I know there were many nay-sayers within our own community. Some folks said we have too many important local fights and should not waste our time on a march. Barney Frank announced that the march was "useless" before it ever happened. We have to remember Barney represents a district in Massachusetts. He is not the "LGBT representative." He doesn't "get it." He does not know why you march.
I don't know why you march, either.
Each one of you marches for a different reason. Some march to remember a loved one. Some march to support a gay son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister. Some march to swell the ranks. Some march from anger. Some march because they grew up with messages of hate or lack of acceptance from family or church and need to be amongst thousands of their own folk, the families they have made.
Whatever your reason, I thank you. Because I do get it. Barney believes the reason for the march is to put pressure on legislators and the White House. We say that is one of the reasons, but we are not stupid. No legislator looks out their window, hears a street full of people screaming that they want gay rights now and suddenly decides to vote for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
We always hope to get enough mainstream media attention to wake up a few folks. President Obama addressed the HRC on Saturday. That dinner had almost nothing to do with the crowds in the street. Yet because of his speech, media around the country and across the world made mention of the "large civil rights demonstration" the next day. I believe this march has gotten more mainstream media attention than 1979, 1987, 1993 and 2000 combined. Perhaps this year we really did wake up a few people to our cause. If we did, we have President Obama to thank for that.
More important is the fact that we came together as a community, and we're coming back energized. With less than a month to go before the vote in Kalamazoo, thousands of LGBT Michiganders are returning home ready to work. Our organizations, which desperately need people to carry on their work, will have folks knocking at the door saying "What can I do?" In Maine and Washington, and every other state and municipality with gay rights initiatives in the balance, an army of energized volunteers is going to descend ready to organize, canvass, mail, phone, e-mail and flyer. No change happens without that army of volunteers.
That is why we march. And that is why I thank you.
