National Equality March: One Message, Many Opinions

LGBT Activists Descended on Washington Sunday calling for President Obama to be a man of his word.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - Thousands of gay, lesbian and transgendered activists marched from the White House to the Capitol on Sunday to declare their solidarity in a call for President Obama to fulfill his campaign promises.

With signs like "We won't wait for full equality," rainbow flags and chants of "Hey, Obama, let mama marry mama," attendees for Sunday's National Equality March communicated a resolve in calling for action not mere words.

That being said, there were still varying degrees of satisfaction with the President's timetable on gay rights. Those present at the awards dinner for the Human Rights Campaign on Saturday night cheered and applauded Obama's promise to do away with the military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule.

Some at the march were resolute that words were not enough. Action must happen and happen soon. They saw their presence in Washington as a way to keep Obama's feet to the fire.

Other activists doubted the march would accomplish much. In a report from the Associated Press they stated that the time and money would have been better spent working to persuade voters in Maine and Washington state, where the November ballot will include a measure that would overturn a bill granting same-sex couples many of the benefits of marriage.

On Friday, one openly gay member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Barney Frank, dismissed any real impact by the march and that the attendees would be better off lobbying congress. He basically saw the gathering as an "emotional release" and not a way to pressure for change.

"The only thing they're going to be putting pressure on is the grass," Frank stated.

Among those participating were Cynthia Nixon, a cast member from HBO's "Sex and the City" who hopes to marry her partner, Christine Marinoni, next year; Judy Shepard, whose son, Matthew, was killed because he was gay; and Lady Gaga.

The keynote speaker for the day was Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP. In his address he connected the fight for gay with the earlier work of the Civil Rights movement. He affirmed that gays and lesbians should be free from discrimination.

"Black people of all people should not oppose equality, and that is what marriage is all about," he told the crowd. "We have a lot of real and serious problems in this country, and same-sex marriage is not one of them. Good things don't come to those who wait, but they come to those who agitate."

Totally ignored at the march were those who came to bear witness to the Christian message regarding homosexuality and calling those present to allow God to work in them in restoration. Randall Terry reported last week that he and others who stand for life and family would be present with a message of reconciliation and hope.

In a press release, Terry declared, ""We can - and must - meet these men and women with compassion; they are made in the image of God, and Christ died to forgive us all of our sins. We all have sin; we all need his love and forgiveness.

"But that is exactly the issue: homosexual behavior is a mortal sin. It is self-destructive. It is against nature. It needs forgiveness, not codification and normalization.

"If they wish to practice a self-destructive behavior behind closed doors, so be it. We will pray for them, and offer them the same forgiveness will all need. But when they try to force the rest of us to create a right to 'homosexual marriage' where none exists, and to say that an objectively evil behavior is good and even desirable, we must fearlessly oppose them with all our might.

"The child-killing movement and the 'homosexual marriage' movement have formed an unbreakable bond - a 'cultural axis of evil' - because they both spring from the same root: the rejection of God's Law and Natural Law concerning human sexuality and procreation'.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online. He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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