Reason to March on Washington

Sean Strub, longtime activist and founder of Poz Magazine, via David Mixner (emphasis mine):

I had been ambivalent about a march this fall, for many of the reasons that have been eloquently expressed by others on this list over the past couple of weeks. The debate and discussion was important, as it forced us to confront and consider with a clear eye the challenging realities of trying to organize such a large-scale event in a short period of time.

But I contrasted those legitimate concerns and reasons with what I heard from LGBT folks with whom I discussed this in rural northeast PA, what I read on non-leadership listserves or comments on blog posts (overwhelmingly in favor), what I witnessed when Cleve spoke last night and what has stirred in my own heart, which is an exciting and even a bit frightening sense that this may be a moment unlike any other, a moment that will be gone a year or two from now when reelection politics will dictate the administration's every move.

I am now convinced that the time to debate whether to march or not is over. If I had any residual doubt, today's news about the Justice Department's approach to DOMA erased them. The march this fall is not going to be a small affair. It is going to happen and it is going to be significant. . . .

The march will raise our expectations, broaden our vision and inspire hope. That's what every one of the national marches has achieved in the past. But let's also make this march demonstrate our community's shared struggle with those combating racism and poverty and sexism and transphobia and HIV and all those fighting for social justice. Let's let this march teach us all more about the moral authority and political power we gain when coalition-building is our priority rather than our problem.

Let's focus not on the quantity of people in attendance, but the quality of our message. We can show that, to us, "special rights" means that every person is special, that our movement is special because we so broadly embrace the struggles of all who are oppressed and that we are special because without us, the broader society would be bereft of something they so desperately need.

Actually, the time to be marching and demonstrating is now, fellas, while the great betrayal is hot in everyone's mind, and there's real anger to be channeled into effective protests. I'm just saying.