|
|
|
Click
Banner for Larger Image The
five demands made by the marchers were:
|
NATIONAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR LESBIAN & GAY RIGHTS On
October 14, 1979, 100,000 members of the gay community and its supporters
gathered for the first national gay rights march. It gave birth to a
national gay movement. Houston was there. In early June 1978, Ray Hill had a discussion with Harvey Milk at a meeting in Dallas. They were at odds about how to nationalize the lesbian and gay rights movement. Milk wanted a March on Washington and Hill wanted a national lesbian and gay rights congress. Milk won the debate; they agreed to support each other's efforts. Houston had Town
Meeting I, in late June 1978, where a resolution was presented and approved
for a national march on Washington for Lesbian and Gay rights. Differences
in the desired approach continued through the year In February 1979, in Philadelphia, it was agreed to have a march on Washington on the ten year anniversary of Stonewall. The organizational structure and platform were defined and the national Steering Committee was selected by community meetings throughout the country. A conference was called for July 1979, in Houston, to check the status of delegations. It was there that many organizations decided to endorse the march, including the National Gay Task Force, Gay Rights National Lobby, and the National Organization for Women. A strong push for transgender inclusion in the March's name was rejected at that July meeting. Despite this, the Houston meeting solidified the gender equality and racial inclusive basis for the 1979 March. Ray Hill was a member
of the steering committee, and he used his skills to organize, publicize
and fundraise. He secured the seed money for the march
|
