Peace. Love. Equality.

“Peace. Love. Equality. That’s all we want.” This was Hannah’s caption on a Facebook photo from our weekend in DC at the Equality March. My little sister, Hannah, flew in a few days early for the PFLAG dinner (post coming soon) so that we could go together to be a part of history in our nation’s capital. For an early bus ride to DC from Chinatown, Hannah and I rolled out of bed to put on our tshirts that her boyfriend, Joel, made for us with the words “Peace Love Equality” on the front and “Let Us Dare” on the back. The day started out pretty fantastic when we casually met Kristen Chenoweth as we were walking towards the march – soo cool! I don’t know what the final turnout was for the march, but let me just say THOUSANDS. So many people gathered with signs, shirts, flags, and determined hearts and minds to make the same statement for equality – that means marriage equality, the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, Defense of Marriage Act, Employment Non-Discrimination Act and more.


We walked past the White House where people were saying “Obama Obama, let mama marry mama!” And a woman in a dress walked by in a dress and bouquet of flowers with a sign that read “I caught the bouquet….now what?” She’s a lesbian who cannot marry her partner. We ended at the capitol building on the lawn for the rally that featured speakers who included politicians, activists, non-profit organizers, Lady Gaga, Julian Bond (Chairperson of NAACP), Dustin Lance Black (screenwriter for MILK), Judy Shepherd (Matthew Shepherd's mom), Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), and the cast of HAIR.

Julian Bond, Chairperson of the NAACP, compared this movement to that of civil rights in the 50s-60s. It was a gay man who organized the March on Washington years ago for civil rights, and Julian Bond said that now he is the black man organizing the march for gay rights because this too is an issue of CIVIL RIGHTS. "When others gain their rights, my rights are not diminished in any way."

I only posted one live video because this is the one you should watch. It takes a bit to load - but do something else and come back to it.



Lt. Dan Choi says that "LOVE is worth it."

Lady Gaga - by far the crowd favorite - speaks to our YOUNG generation that is making a difference and challenges Obama to listen.

All of the videos can be viewed HERE on the Equality March Blog as seen on CSPAN.

It was a powerful day full of celebration, happiness and sincere grassroots efforts to make a difference in the future of LGBT equality. At the end of the march stood a couple, a biracial couple, just standing peacefully with a sign that read “Years ago, we couldn’t get married. The time WILL come for you.” Powerful. We have come so far, but the rights of marriage need to be equal on the federal level, not just state by state. However, that doesn’t mean that we stop our efforts here in NY. NY is so close and the marriage equality vote is reappearing in the Senate next week. Call/write your senators and encourage them to make the right decision.

And of course always powerful, the cast of HAIR, who canceled their Sunday matinee to be a part of this day. "Let the Sunshine In"