Fifty years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his memorable "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., several individuals—including President Obama—spoke about racial progress from the same spot Aug. 28.
In part, Obama said, "Because they marched, America became more free and more fair—not just for African-Americans, but for women and Latinos, Asians and Native Americans; for Catholics, Jews, and Muslims; for gays, for Americans with a disability. America changed for you and for me."
Dr. Eliza Byard—the executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN)—was the only out member of an LGBT-based organization to speak. She said that "LGBT voices are welcomed to this stage. And President Obama has awarded Bayard Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom," according to Frontiers LA. However, she cautioned that "we have not yet seen Dr. King's 'great vaults of opportunity' thrown open to everyone."
Byard added that some "youth endure the silence imposed by violence and fear" and that "Some have been silenced forever, and we raise our voices in their memory: Sakia Gunn, Gwen Araujo, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover [and] Lawrence King." (Note: The full speech is on page 10 of this week's issue.)
Another openly gay person who spoke was Alan van Capelle, CEO of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice. He said, in part, "We may be closer to legal equality but we are far, far, far from justice. We are far from justice when young Black men are stopped and frisked and disrespected on the streets of New York City. ... We are far from justice when a gay, lesbian, or transgender person can be fired from their job simply for being who they are." Randi Weingarten, the openly lesbian president of the American Federation of Teachers, also addressed the crowd.
Among the others who spoke were Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Julian Bond, Jamie Foxx, Myrlie Evers Williams, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, Ambassador Carline Kennedy, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rep. Joaquin Castro and Ambassador Andrew Young.
Delores Huerta, Kristin Stoneking in her remarks about Bayard Rustin (she is from the Fellowship of Reconciliation), Mee Moua (president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice) and Rep. John Lewis, who was at the original 1963 March, mentioned gays in their speeches.
Shortly after the anniversary march, the Center for Black Equity (CBE) celebrated gay civil-rights pioneer Bayard Rustin with a reception and discussion of his work featuring a panel discussion at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters in D.C. CBE President/CEO Earl D. Fowlkes Jr. moderated the discussion, which featured Mandy Carter, national coordinator, Bayard Rustin Commemoration, National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC); Damien Conners, national executive director/COO for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Inc (SCLC); and MacArthur Flournoy, theologian, author, preacher and HRC Director for Faith Partnership and Mobilization.
Also see Gay lesbian leaders speak at March on Washington event here: www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Gay-lesbian-leaders-speak-at-March-on-Washington-event-/44216.html .
and
Let Freedom Ring, President Obama on fairness for gays and for all here:
www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Let-Freedom-Ring-President-Obama-on-fairness-for-gays-and-for-all/44213.html .
