POV Marching on WashingtonClick here to close this window
Button: Home Button: The Mall Button: Past Marches Button: The Future of Marching

   Past Marches: Coxey's Army | Bonus Army | Marian Anderson Concert | March on Washington
    Earth Day | May Day Anti-War | ERA | Lesbian, Gay & Bi Rights | Million Man March

Photo: Rainbow flag flying at 1993 Washington, D.C. gay and lesbian march on Washington. Credit: Marc Geller, 1993
Rainbow flag flying at 1993 Washington, D.C. gay and lesbian march on Washington.
Credit: Marc Geller, 1993
Photo: Father/Daughter protesters at the gay and lesbian pride protest in Washington, D.C. in 1993. Credit: Marc Geller, 1993
Father/Daughter protesters at the gay and lesbian pride protest in Washington, D.C. in 1993.
Credit: Marc Geller, 1993
Quote:The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender movement recognizes that our quest for social justice fundamentally links us to the struggles against racism and sexism, class bias, economic injustice, and religious intolerance(Endquote)
— Action Statement Preamble to March Platform
March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation — 1993

 

According to some it was the largest civil rights demonstration in American history. Estimates of the number who attended varied, from 300,000 (Federal Park Police) to 1.1 million (District of Columbia Police) to 2 million (some organizers). Among groups represented were the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Veterans of America, Republicans for Individual Rights, the United Church Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns, the National Organization of Women (NOW), the NAACP, the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the National Association of People With AIDS, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Amnesty International, Heteros for Homos, and many, many other groups. The endorsement of the march by influential civil rights organizations such as NOW and the NAACP was an important milestone for the movement in gaining support for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual rights legislation.

Excerpt from the platform of the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation:

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender movement recognizes that our quest for social justice fundamentally links us to the struggles against racism and sexism, class bias, economic injustice, and religious intolerance. We must realize if one of us is oppressed we all are oppressed. The diversity of our movement requires and compels us to stand in opposition to all forms of oppression that diminish the quality of life for all people. We will be vigilant in our determination to rid our movement and our society of all forms of oppression and exploitation, so that all of us can develop to our full human potential without regard to race, religion, sexual orientation/identification, identity, gender and gender expression, ability, age or class.

Next: Million Man March — 1995 »
« Previous: National ERA March on Washington D.C. or "March for Equality" — 1978

All text by Jeanne Houck | Design by James Johnson | Copyright © 1995-2003 American Documentary, Inc.