October 11, 1987

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 1:22pm

On this date 21 years ago, the second March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place.

The AIDS epidemic was raging, the Republicans running the country were completely indifferent to it, and queer people from coast to coast were marginalized and maligned.

Grassroots organizing in most every state insured over 200,000 gay people and their supporters were in DC that weekend. Folks from all walks of life and age groups were in attendance.





A group of people living with AIDS led the march, including a man pushed in a wheelchair by Whoopi Goldberg. Later, Whoopi would be among the people addressing the crowd on the Mall. Responding to the criminal negligence of the Reagan administration's lack of response to the AIDS epidemic, she led the crowd in a chant of "F-You" toward the White House.

This weekend also marked the first public exhibition of The NAMES Project Quilt, now mostly known as the AIDS Quilt. The impact this gigantic work of art had on almost everyone who looked at it can not be underestimated. To see panel after panel stretching to the horizon and each one representing somebody who should have been with us that day was incredibly galvanizing. So many people left DC that weekend and immediately plunged themselves into AIDS activist organizations, like the nascent ACT UP. Many people stayed in DC for non-violent civil disobedience training and prepared for a major protest a few days after the march.



With acts of political theater like Goldberg's chant, art like the Quilt, and 600 activists being arrested a few days later at the Supreme Court to protest the Bowers v Hardwick case in which two men were arrested for sodomy in the privacy of a bedroom -- in Georgia; (Surprised?) -- the modern gay and lesbian rights movement finally got its second wind after being sidelined and invisibilized by the AIDS epidemic.

Those voices grew steadier and louder over the coming years... as the spark of that day became flames across the country and around the world.




The positive experience of 200,000 people making themselves visible in a country that preferred to ignore them at best (or have them die at worst) lingered for years.

One year to the day of that March on Washington, 20 years ago today, the first National Coming Out Day was held. The idea was to continue the work began the year before, when we found strength in our numbers. It was now our duty to bring that openness back to our communities and make change whenever, wherever, and however we could.




Although wary of getting our hopes up too high, we had a lot of dreams then. We thought the AIDS epidemic would be over by now, for one thing. We wanted to be seen, and known, and acknowledged as citizens of this country. We hoped for the kind of visibility gay people have today, but didn't know if we'd ever see it. I don't know anyone back then who would have imagined that gay people would have the right to marry in Massachusetts and California in 20 years.

So that's a look back and a memory refresher for all of us who were there. And a primer for anybody who didn't know how we got to where we are today.

And in the spirit of the day, I want you to know: I'm totally gay.

Thank you.




600 Arrested in Gay Demonstration at Supreme Court - NY Times

Updated On: 10/11/08 at 01:22 PM

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 1:28pm

Thanks for the reminder. I went down to see the quilt then with a group of friends, including my friend Jim, who came down from NYC where he was working with the Metropolitan Opera. Ten years later Jim had his own square added to the ever-growing quilt.

I'm thankful for all who are still here today to remember, commemorate and continue to work for change.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 1:36pm

A group of friends and myself made an extra large square for the quilt in memoriam of eight of our friends. It was quite a spectacle! Some of it was painted, some sewn, and we included photographs of the guys. Not only were we remembering our loved ones, it also gave us a good reason to get together each week to do the work, laugh, and talk about great times we all had.

It took us almost a year to complete, as it was huge! When we finished, we rented a gallery space and had a huge opening to view the piece. Members of the Quilt project were on hand to interview us and to receive the square. They also presented us with copies of the book later on. It was a wonderful experience.

I love Whoopi. I'd vote for her for pres!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 1:40pm

Since it was the first display of the Quilt, nobody quite knew what to expect. Then, to arrive at the Mall and see this epic, eloquent installation was devastating, exhausting and empowering.

I remember ambulating among the panels, surrounded by memorials for mostly gay guys like me, and gay guys not like me, and other folks like me and not, and just weeping. Strangely, it was when I happened upon Michael Bennett's panel that I sobbed uncontrollably. Designed to call to mind the sunburst backdrop of the Chorus Line finale, that panel symbolized the death of one sort of dream and the possibility of the birth of a different kind of dream.

Later, I think it was in the Village Voice, I read an article stating Joe Papp hand-delivered the Bennett panel that weekend, holding the folded cloth against his chest and crying as he handed it over.

Updated On: 10/11/08 at 01:40 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 1:48pm

We read a beautiful poem in my lit class about the quilt. My heart goes out to every person who's memory is stitched into the quilt, and to those who did the stitching to make sure that memory would live on.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 3:08pm

Those were amazing times. We were losing our friends and lovers, yet we were all so politically charged and empowered.

I wasn't at the '87 march. I was at the '93.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 3:23pm

There definitely were a few fantastic speakers at the '93 march. But The Human Rights Campaign Fund (as it was then known) and the odious Robin Tyler decided without any grassroots input that the major push would be for Gays in the Military. So they marketed dog tags and it was just gross, in my opinion and the opinion of many others. Still, BETTY the rock band managed to load up an a capella version of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy with all sorts of double entendres without changing a word of the lyrics.

My favorite marching group was a street theatre troupe that marched as "Gays in the Millinery," because they wore insane hats and carried a sign with the dictionary definintion of Millinery.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 3:47pm

Thanks for this thread, Namo. It's good to be reminded.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 4:02pm

Ah, memories. Of not only the marches, ACT-UP and civil disobedience, but also of a time when threads on BWW meant something.Thanks for a great thread, Namo.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 5:25pm

I figure even if I only do it one day a year, this is the day to do it!

I honestly think it's the advent of SSRIs that brought about the end of such activism.