Yabba Dabba Dykes March to equality, It’s a K. D. Lang Thang, Keep Your promises Bill, and I Can’t Even March Straight are all slogans that were spotted on T-shirts at the March on Washington D.C. on April 25, 1993. It’s been over 17 years since that weekend that came and went in a whirlwind.
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Below is a original t shirt from the March on Washington April 25, 1993 Contributed to the site by John in Montclair, New Jersey. Thank you
Just a weekend before I was hanging out at a Girth and Mirth event in the Delaware Valley, when a friend named Rick from Allentown Pennsylvania told me that he and some friends were all loading in the car and driving down to March in the Parade on the Mall in Washington D.C. . I thought it sounded like fun and it got me out of Philadelphia for a weekend, so that was cool.
So on Friday April 23, 1993 I took a bus from Center City Philadelphia to Allentown Pennnsylvania to meet my friend Rick and hang out in Allentown with his friends and see some sites around town ( The Pagoda). Early the next morning we all drove down to Virgina to stay at a member of G&M D.C.’s house just outside Washington D.C.
His home was big for just himself and he welcomed us to stay until Sunday morning when we would make our way to the March. When we got there it was early in the morning and we were all anxious to get into the city and hang on the mall. The city was alive with people, families checking out the museums, monuments, and a large LGBT community presence all around. Everybody seemed very friendly, we stopped for a bite to eat at Roy Roger’s and then headed to the Mall to see some sites.
The Mall was bustling with many people that were checking out the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and The Smithsonian Institute. We were focused on the brightly colored quilt that laid in front of us, it streched between the reflecting pool of the Lincoln Memorial up to the Capitol building and what a site it was.
The Quilt was the AIDS Quilt it was an emotional rollercoaster for my friends and myself, just finding out that one of the guys we were with had an advanced case of AIDS and his lover had passed away a few years before. This was a tough but necessary part of the event.
The day was still young and there was still alot to see in D.C. . We were excited to explore the city and find the “Gay area”. The closest we got to that was when we found the D.C. Eagle, but it was to early in the day for it to be open and we continued on. Washington D.C. at this time was referred to as “The Murder Capitol of the United States” and we were not looking for any trouble, so we made our way back to Virginia to freshin up before our Saturday evening out in D.C. .
That evening we were invited to a pool party hosted by Girth and Mirth D.C., even though it was a warm Spring we were not prepared to swim. We mingled and socialized with the crew from D.C. for the better part of the evening. After the party we retreated back to Virginia to rest up before our early rise and trek to the March.
The Sunday morning of the March was beautiful, sunny and clear. The city was packed with people on their way to the March. We drove around and around finally finding a parking spot near the Jefferson Memorial, we parked and made our way into the groups of people. We searched for our spot in the Pennsylvania area and waited for our que to begin our march down to the White House and up to Capitol Hill.
We stood conversing for what seemed like minutes, but had actually been several hours before the official kick-off to the March began. As we walked toward the White House we encountered many negative homophobic people on the sidelines shouting hate towards the participants of the Gay Rights Equality March. As loud as they were our group(s) were much louder and we were not going to let their hatred ruin our day.
The March was so crowded that we all became seperated from each other, but that did not stop us from finishing the march. We walked upto Capitol Hill and let our voices be heard that we needed our freedoms and that we were not going to be denied our rights any longer.
At the end of the day we met back up and drove back to Philadelphia and the others went on to Allentown. What an unexciting way to end one of the most exciting and historical weekends ever. Seventeen years later we are still fighting a battle that was started so long ago, even before 1993. In the year of 2010 we are dealing with as a LGBT community:
- The suicides of young individuals that have been harrased.
- The fact that gay marriage is still not legal.
- The “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” Policy is still in effect.
We have such along way to go to get to where we need to be as a community, I know that one day we’ll get there.
Dignitaries that attended the March on Washington April 25, 1993:
- David Dinkins, Former Mayor of the city of New York.
- Dick Sargent, 1930 to 1994 American Actor, best known as Darrin Stephens on the television series Bewitched.
- Melissa Etheridge, singer, songwriter, activist and musician.
- Judith Light, Actress (Who’s the Boss, Ugly Betty), speaker and gay rights activist.
- Ulvashi Vaid, Gay Rights Activist.
- Rupaul, Drag performer,singer, songwriter, actor.
- Martina Navratilova, Tennis player, gay rights activist.
- Sir Ian McKellen, Actor, gay rights activist.
- Cybill Shepherd, Actor, gay rights activist.
Below is the Platform of the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation Action Statement Preamble to the Platform.
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.
THE MARCH DEMANDS
1. We demand passage of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender civil rights bill and an end to discrimination by state and federal governments including the military; repeal of all sodomy laws and other laws that criminalize private sexual expression between consenting adults.
2. We demand massive increase in funding for AIDS education, research, and patient care; universal access to health care including alternative therapies; and an end to sexism in medical research and health care.
3. We demand legislation to prevent discrimination against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered people in the areas of family diversity, custody, adoption and foster care and that the definition of family includes the full diversity of all family structures.
4. We demand full and equal inclusion of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered people in the educational system, and inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender studies in multicultural curricula.
5. We demand the right to reproductive freedom and choice, to control our own bodies, and an end to sexist discrimination.
6. We demand an end to racial and ethnic discrimination in all forms.
7. We demand an end to discrimination and violent oppression based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, identification, race, religion, identity, sex and gender expression, disability, age, class, AIDS/HIV infection.
Platform Demands and Related Items
1. We demand passage of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender civil rights bill and an end to discrimination by state and federal governments including the military; repeal of all sodomy laws and others laws that criminalize private sexual expression between consenting adults.
- Passage of “The Civil Rights Amendment Act of 1991″ (HR 1430 & S574).
- Repeal of Department of Defense directive 1332.14.
- Repeal of laws prohibiting sodomy, cross-gender expression (dress codes) or non-coercive sexual behavior between consenting adults.
- Amendment of the Code of Federal Regulations to recognize same-sex relationships.
- Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment
- Implementation of, funding for and enforcement of the Americans with
- Disabilities Act of 1991.
- Passage and implementation of graduated age-of-consent laws.
2. We demand massive increase in funding for AIDS education, research, and patient care; universal access to health care including alternative therapies; and an end to seism in medical research and health care.
- The provision of responsive, appropriate health care for people with disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing people.
- Revision of the Centers for Disease Control definition of AIDS to include infections particular to women.
- Implementation of the recommendation-of the National AIDS Comrnission immediately.
- A massive increase in funding for AIDS education, research and care–money for AIDS, not for war.
- This money should come from the defense budget, not existing social services.
- An increase in funding and research to provide an independent study of
- HIV infection in women, People of Color, Bisexuals, Heterosexuals, children, and women to women transmission.
- Access to anonymous testing for HIV.
- No mandatory HIV testing.
- A cure for AIDS.
- The development and legalization of a national needle exchange program.
- Free substance abuse treatment on demand.
- The redefinition of sexual reassignment surgeries as medical, not cosmetic, treatment.
- The provision of appropriate medical treatment for all transgendered people in prisons and hospitals.
- An increase in funding and research for chronic illness, including breast ovarian, and other cancers particular to women.
- The right of all people with chronic illness, including HIV/AIDS, to choices in medical treatment as well as the right to end such treatment.
3. We demand legislation to prevent discrimination against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered people in the areas of family di-versity, custody, adoption and foster care and that the definition of family includes the full diversity of all family structures.
- The recognition and legal protection of whole range of family structures.
- An end to abuse and exploitation of and discrimination against youth.
- An end to abuse and exploitation of and discrimination against older/old people.
- Full implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Health and Human Services Task Force on Youth Suicide.
- Recognition of domestic partnerships.
- Legalization of same sex marriages.
4. We demand full and equal inclusion of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered people in the educational system, and inclusion of Les-
bian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender studies in multicultural curricula.
- Culturally inclusive Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies program; and information on abortion, AIDS/HIV, childcare and sexuality at all levels of education.
- Establishment of campus offices and programs to address Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students special needs.
- The ban of all discriminatory ROTC programs and recruiters from learning institutions.
- An end to discrimination at all levels of education.
5. We demand the right to reproductive freedom and choice, to control our own bodies, and an end to sexist discrimination.
- The right to control our bodies.
- Unrestricted, safe and affordable alternative insemination.
- An end to sterilization abuse.
- That access to safe and affordable abortion and contraception be available to all people on demand, without restriction and regardless of age.
- That access to unbiased and complete information about the full range of reproductive options be available to all people, regardless of age.
6. We demand an end to racial and ethnic discrimination in all forms.
- Support for non-racist policies and affirmative action.
- An end to institutionalized racism.
- Equal economic opportunity and an end to poverty.
- Full reproductive rights, improvement of prenatal services, availability of alternative insemination for Lesbians and Bisexual women of color.
- Repeal all ‘English Only’ laws and restore and enforce bilingual education.
- Repeal all discriminatory immigration laws based on race and HIV status .
- A commitment to ending racism, including internalized racism, sexism and all forms of religious and ethnic oppression in our communities and in this country.
- An end to the genocide of all the indigenous peoples and their cultures Restoration of the self-determination of all indigenous people of the world.
7. We demand an end to discrimination and violent oppresion based on actual or perceived sexual orientation/identification, race, religion,
identity, sex and gender expression, disability, age, class, AIDS/HIV infection.
- An end to anti-Semitism.
- An end to sexist oppression.
- An end to discrimination against people with disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing people.
- An end to discrimination based on sexual orientation in all programs of the Boy Scouts of America.
- An end to economic injustice in this country and internationally.
- An end to discrimination against prisoners with HIV/AIDS.
- An end to discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, and those perceived as having HIV/AIDS.
- An end to consideration of gender dysphoria as a psychiatric disorder.
- An end to hate crimes including police brutality, rape and bashing.
- An end to censorship.
1993 March on Washington, Courtesy of Jonahartman. Thank you