Growing Support for the National Equality March: 140 New LGBT Activists and Allies Sign On
Filed by: Waymon Hudson
September 1, 2009 6:00 PM
The momentum for the National Equality March, organized by Equality Across America seems to be reaching a fevered pitch. The March, scheduled for October 10th and 11th in Washington DC, has given blogger Andy Towle of Towleroad a list of over 140 new LGBT leaders and allies who are endorsing the event, whose goal is "equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states."
The list includes activists, politicians, entertainers, religious figures, and others who are putting their name and support behind the national march. It's a diverse group of people, from leaders like Judy Sheperd and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to actors like Charlize Theron and Harvey Fierstein and everyone in between. It also includes a number of Bilerico folks and other bloggers, like Nadine Smith, Pam Spaulding, Kate Clinton, Bil Browning, Lane Hudson, Eric Marcus, and many others.
This comes on the heels of state groups, like those in Florida, announcing they will be arranging for buses from major cities to bring people to the march.
It seems that the march is indeed picking up steam.
The full list from Towleroad after the jump...
From Towelroad:
NEW LIST of 140 ENDORSERS of the NATIONAL EQUALITY MARCH
Diane Abbitt, President, California Equality and Lesbian Legend!
Chad Allen, Actor/ Producer
Jeff Anderson, Fundraiser/ Activist (San Francisco)
Chip Arndt, Activist, Winner of the Amazing Race 4
Toni Atkins, Former City Council Member of San Diego
Dennis Bailey, Author/Actor
Aaron Baldwin, LGBTQ/HIV Activist
Tammy Baldwin, Congresswomen (D- WI)
Jarrett Tomás Barrios, President, GLADD
Bryan Batt, Actor, AMC's "Mad Men"
David Bender, Air America
Roberta Bennett, Attorney/Legendary Activist
Jeff Berman, Attorney at Law / New York City
Dustin Lance Black, Oscar Winning Screenwriter ("Milk")
Jeremy Blacklow, Entertainment Industry
Steven Bluestein, Playwright
Beth Broderick, Actress
Bil Browning, Founder and Publisher of Bilerico.com
Richard Burns, Screenwriter
Dr. Jerry Cade, Director HIV Service University Medical Center/Las Vegas
Jeffrey H. Campagna, Founder, ThePowerOnline.org
Tom Carpenter, Former CoChair of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN)
Michael Cashman, Member of the European Parliament
Lt. Daniel Choi, West Point and United States Army
Kate Clinton, Comedian/Writer
Bruce Cohen, Oscar Wining Producer
Alan Cummings, Actor
Robert Desiderio, Actor
Tanya L. Domi, Former US Army Captain/ Human Rights Advocate
Clay Doherty, Former Executive Director, Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council of the DNC
William Alan Donius, Former Chairmen/ CEO Pulaksi Bank/ St. Louis
Craig Dougherty, Corporate Leader/ Entrepreneur
David Drake, Obie Award Winning Actor/ Playwright and Director
Tom Duane, New York State Senator
Bevan Duffy, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Rabbi Denise Eger, President of Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis
Brian Ellner, Political Activist/ New York
Edward Feighan, Former United States Member of Congress (D-Ohio)
Harvey Fierstein, Actor/ Writer
Sally Fisher, Founder/Intersect Worldwide
Randy Florke, Founder, Rural Connection
Robert Forbuss, Nevada Board of Regents
Joe Freeman, Political Activist
Alan Friel, Labor Day LA
C Weldon Gaddy, Interfaith Alliance
Ethan Geto, Geto and de Milly
Neil Giuliano, Former Mayor of Tempe, Arizona and President of GLAAD
Mitchell Gold, Faith in America - Board President
Michael Goff, Towleroad/ModUrban Media / Founder, Out magazine
Herb Hamsher, Producer/ Manager
Lance Helms, Talk Show Host, "Lundon Calling"
Lance Horne, Musician
Mark Ishaug, President, AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Chad Johnson, Former Executive Director National Stonewall Democrats
Corey Johnson, New York Democratic Party Activist
Lane Hudson, Commentator and Writer
Doug Ireland, Journalist
Cleve Jones, Activist, The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt
Kim Kakerbeck, Former CoChair of Empire State Pride Agenda (New York)
Gregg Kaminsky, Travel Expert
Barry Karas, Political Operative/ANGLE
Fred Karger, Founder, Californian's Against Hate
Leslie Katz, Former San Francisco Supervisor
Dan Karslake, Director/Producer ("For the Bible Tells Me So")
Jonathan Katz, Author/Historian/ University of Buffalo
Michael Kearns, Actor/Activist
Micah Kellner, New York State Assembly Member
Dave Koz, Smooth Jazz Legend For Sax
Sheila Kuehl, Former California State Senator
Donald Hitchcock, Democratic Party Activist
Judith Light, Actress
Tony Leonhardt, Union Advocate, Association of Professional Flight Attendants
Ace Lundon, Talk Show Host, "Lundon Calling"
Jack Mackenroth, Fashion Designer/ TV Producer
Sean Maloney, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Eric Marcus, Writer/ Journalist
Patrick Range McDonald, Award Winning Journalist
Robin McGehee, Activist, Meet In The Middle Organizer
Dana Miller, Producer/ Writer
Tim Miller, Actor/ Performance Artist
Dr. Tony Mills, HIV/ AIDS Activist
David Mixner, Author/Activist
Patrick Menasco, Attorney
Dan Montoya, Former Presidential Commission on HIV/AIDS Member
Larry Moss, New York Democratic Party Official
Christopher Murray, Author/ Psychotherapist
Holly Near, Musician/Actress
Ann Northrop, Activist, Co-host Gay USA
Charles O'Byrne, Prominent Political Strategist
Danny O'Donnell, Assemblyman, NY
Andrew Oldershaw, LGBT Media Specialist
Torie Osborn, Author/Activist
Dan Osheyack, Point Foundation Board Member
Alfredo Paredes, Executive Vice President, Polo Ralph Lauren
Jay Perez, Attorney at Law/ St. Louis
Dana Perlman, Human Rights Campaign Board Member
Rev Troy Perry, Founder of the MCC Church
Christine Quinn, City Council President of New York City
Nichol Ramirez, City Commissioner, San Diego, Activist
Phil Reese, Talk Show Host, "Lundon Calling"
Jacob Reitan, Founder of Soul Force's Equality Rides and "The Right To Serve"
Randi and Philip Reitan, Parent Activists for LGBT Rights
Howard Rosenman, Film and Television Producer, Writer and Actor
Guy Ross, Trustee, University of Richmond (Virginia)
Marsha Scott, White House, President Clinton
Frank Selvaggi, Co-Chair of Empire State Pride Agenda/ New York
Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard Foundation
Michelangelo Signorile, Talk Show Host/Writer
Bob Smith, Comedian/ Author
Richard Socarides, White House Special Assistant to President Clinton
Jeff Soukup, Fundraiser/ Activist (San Francisco)
Pam Spaulding, Blogger
Peter Staley, Founder and Advisory Editor/AIDSmeds.com
Jonathan Stoller, Financial Advisor
Alan M. Strasburg, Former Board Chair, The Trevor Project
Sean Strub, Founder of Poz Magazine and CEO of Cable Positive
Tony Sweet, Talk Show Host/ Los Angeles
Larry Sullivan, Actor/The Trip
Rich Tafel, Founder of Log Cabin Republicans/ President of RLT Strategies
Charlize Theron, Academy Award Winning Actress
Andy Towle, Towleroad.com
Jeff Trandahl, Washington, DC / Environmentalists
Will Trinkle, Board Member of GLAAD
Curt Truman, Los Angeles, President Truman Real Estate
Urvashi Vaid, Author/ Activist/ LGBT Leader
Dana Vera, Managing Editor/ White Crane Journal
Bruce Vilanch, Writer/ Actor
Bo Young, White Crane Institute/ White Crane Journal
Honey Ward, The Experience
William Waybourn, Former Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Former Managing Director of GLAAD
Scott Widmeyer, Former Board Chair of Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and CEO of Widmeyer Communications
Kip Williams, Activist, One Struggle One Fight
Rev. Nancy Wilson, Head of International MCC Church
Bob Wingate, Publisher, Outbound Press
Jon Winkleman, Stonewall Democrats
Chuck Wolfe, CEO and President of National Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
Peter Yacobellis, Aide to Governor Paterson
Paul Yandura, White House, President Clinton
Judge David Young, Television Judge
Jose M. Zuniga, CEO of International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care
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11 Comments
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Names from Michigan, Kim Troy ad 30+ year activist and leader in Michigan GLBT, Phil Volk Chair of the LBGTA Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party, and the caucus executive board in general which I serve on all are multiple organizer leaders, bloggers and years of service to the movement.
Hey I have to tweet in my Michigan GLBT voices now lol.
Adam Taylor | September 1, 2009 6:49 PM
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Every name there represents de facto support for Question 1 in Maine and opposition to Ref 71 in Washington state.
tristram | September 1, 2009 11:11 PM
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It's not an either/or situation. I don't have the money for a multi-day out of state trip, but if I did I would be rather go to the march than WA/ME because I'd feel stupid campaigning in a state I don't live in.
I get the sense that people are upset because they saw how CA was able to garner so much money and support from outside state lines and other states are wondering why they aren't being supported as strongly.
My belief is that so many people are now supporting the march because they've realized it's going to happen with or without their involvement, so they may as well join the bandwagon.
Anthony in Nashville | September 2, 2009 12:45 AM
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That's one hell of a list to make such a snide insinuation, tristram. As one of the people on the list, I find your comment to be incredibly offensive. Following your logic with this, you must only support same-sex marriage as an LGBT issue while throwing ENDA, housing protections, DADT, DOMA, public accommodations, immigration, HIV/AIDS in the trash bin in a rush to "party" with the people in Maine.
It's a petty charge that's beneath you. You've been able to argue the merits of your position until now. Now you've just turned insulting.
Bil Browning | September 2, 2009 8:51 AM
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Please let me add that I have tremendous respect for many of the individuals on the list, but I think in this instance that their priorities are terribly mistaken. Do you think anyone in Washington D.C. is going to make the effort to repeal DOMA if two more moderate/liberal states vote to retract marriage/partnership rights?
Look at TBP's front page day after day - how many stories are there about the D.C. march and how many about Maine and Washington state?? (and it's pretty much the same on virtually every other major lgbt site right now except 'Good as You').
Now is the time to put all available resources into the battle in those two states. Both votes are winnable, but it will take a huge effort now - not in mid-October. And I don't see that happening.
One more thing, this is not just about marriage. This is about supporting legislators and governors who have the courage to support us. It's about finally having an answer to those who ask us to 'name one state where the people have actually voted in favor of same-sex marriage.' It's about showing, not telling, President Obama that he's missing the mark.
[btw - I don't live in either state, and I'm too damn old to get married.]
tristram | September 2, 2009 12:30 AM
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Agree with you, Tristram. Those East Coast busloads headed to the big party in DC could accomplish much more by going to Maine. Some of us are old enough to remember the college kids who crossed state borders to campaign for Clean Gene McCarthy, McGovern and the Kennedys. Grass-roots door-to-door isn't much fun compared to a party on the Mall but it's essential. The pretext that the March is a training camp for follow-up action in Maine and Washington is just too absurd.
beachcomberT | September 2, 2009 7:38 AM
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Anthony - I have the same concerns about campaigning in a state where I don't live. But we can donate money to help offset the huge amounts being brought into these states by the anti-lgbt organizations. NOM and the Roman Catholic Church have already put up hundreds of thousands of dollars in Maine - money that will be used to saturate the airwaves with anti-gay tv and radio ads. Our people in Maine need resources to fight back. I've already donated my fall/winter travel kitty to the Maine effort, and am looking for other resources I can tap. But I really am getting discouraged since it seems that this effort is not a priority for our 'community.'
tristram | September 2, 2009 2:05 AM
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A lot of actors on this list. Is this going to be nothing more than a party? No major organizations, but people who are part of major organizations. No trans people or trans organizations. The list is very telling as much as who's not on the list as who is.
MonicaHelms | September 2, 2009 6:09 PM
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Organizations can be found at this link:
http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?page_id=668
And the National Equality March is working with and is in communications with Mara Kiesling, who is Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, on out reach to the transgender community throughout the USA and the support of her organization as well.
Chip Arndt | September 2, 2009 8:15 PM
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I looked at the entire list and there are still no transgender individuals or transgender national or local organizations. Talking to Mara is one thing, but I still don't see NCTE or her on the list. Remember, she was badly burn by HRC in 2007.
Also, Dan Choi contacted TAVA to have our organization support this. I don't see IFGE, NTAC, the Transgender Law Center, Trans Youth Family Advocates, Trans FM or the many state organizations we have in this country. Cleve lost the support of trans people because of HRC's involvement.
MonicaHelms | September 2, 2009 11:25 PM
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I have to agree with Monica.
Not a single national trans organization.
Not a single trans person on that list.
Very disappointing.
AnonymousT | September 6, 2009 10:55 PM
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