Cleve Jones on the origins of the National Equality March
Filed by: Bil Browning
September 1, 2009 2:00 PM
Projectors had the opportunity to interview Cleve Jones last weekend. They sent in questions and I read him them to him off my iPhone. In this video, Jones has finished answering queermonkey89's question about motivating young activists and the conversation flowed into the motivation and origins for the National Equality March.
As in any volunteer activist scenario, Jones seconded a good proposal and ended up the de facto face of the event. Doesn't that sound like the LGBT community? Still, our rights don't require Super Queer - just Everyman.
« Mary Cheney donates money to homophobic Senate hopeful | Home | The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn: the Rebirth of the CA Equality Movement »






Very disappointing how full of himself Cleve comes off - met him briefly at his NY pride grand stand stint and when he thought few were listening he said to his buddy "this will be my year to get all the glory that I am entitled to" -anyone who feels that way gets no honor from me. The march has become a self-serving event and I am cancelling my reservations, paying the change fare penalty and going to Maine where we can send a powerful message at the polls! Anyone going to join me?
Phil
Philip Blackburn | September 1, 2009 2:43 PM
Reply to this comment
Good plan Phil!
capitalistpiggy | September 1, 2009 6:05 PM
Reply to this comment
This is MADNESS. For the pleasure of peeing on Obama's fence, these people are going to cut the legs off the efforts to save marriage equality in Maine and (most likely) partnerships in Washington state.
If we lose those two referenda, DOMA will be untouchable for years to come, and any other lgbt-favorable legislation will face a heighened hurdle. This will give us, within a 2-year span, devastating losses in all four corners of the nation. Draw two lines and you have a great big "X" through our hopes of moving any of our issues forward
The Catholic Church and NOM are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into Maine because they understand the stakes. And lgbt's are pouring (piddling) thousands into Maine while focusing on a trip to D.C. for a pique-nic. Madness.
tristram | September 1, 2009 11:06 PM
Reply to this comment
I'm not sure, but I don't think I agree with the three comments above. I have not been a participant in the grand strategy national organizations, and I don't understand how marriage got to be such an important issue when we don't even have basic employment or housing protections. Cart before the horse, seems to me, and now the chickens are coming home to roost. I was quite moved by hearing Mr. Jones speak and I understood his explanation of the history and motivation of the march on a human level. After working all summer on ENDA, I don't think I have the strength to do much, but more and more I am thinking I would like to be in Washington DC on October 11.
Dr. Jillian T. Weiss | September 2, 2009 4:45 AM
Reply to this comment
The two are not mutually exclusive.
Mark | September 2, 2009 1:45 PM
Reply to this comment
I honestly wonder if Jones' critics bother to read or listen to what the movement is saying or if they just like to whine, er, blog. The lgbt rights movement has its own version of birthers.
Lonnie | September 4, 2009 12:31 AM
Reply to this comment