Do We REALLY know Anything about The National Equality March?

The National Equality March is coming soon and for some reason, I'm not feeling it. This march feels rushed and haphazardly put together.

All I know is Cleve Jones is leading it. But is there a true plan or a focus to this event? Having a yard full of gays is cute, but with no tangible agenda, it's just a yard full of gays.

So I have some questions about this march

• Who speaking at this event? Do they have a diverse mix of people speaking like: NAACP, lesbian groups, allies, NOW?
  
• What will be the message? We are all over the place when it comes to our cause and purpose. I hope they get their overall message though.
• Who's sponsoring this event? We still don't know who's all in it and who's backing this march. It just does not make sense that there's a lack of sponsorship here. Hell, there more sponsorship at the Folsom Street fair and the circuit parties.
• Who are the folks involved in the planning? Again, all I know is Cleve and his buddies. Were other groups invited to help?
  
• Where are the ads or promotion? I'm hearing about this through Queerty, and I'm shocked that Queerty is talking about it. The Million Man March was heavily promoted months before hand. Where is the news?
• They want to call for the repeal of the classics: DOMA & DADT, but how realistic is that? What will this march do to push that goal over the edge? The White House already knows how the LGBT community feels, will this march make a difference?
• Where will the money raised from this event go? The website says the money will go to scholarships for youth and low-income groups. But which ones?

Now, I'm not trying to knock it. I'm just trying to understand the purpose. I'm beginning to think this should pushed back until we get all the support needed to be successful. I'm not sure if we are on the same page and with the lack of interest from many LGBT folks and groups, this could be an omega fail.

Do we need HRC?

Andrew Sullivan wrote an interesting article about the relevance of the Human Rights Campaign. He feels that the group came up short in its support of No on Prop 8. Andrew has never been a fan of HRC, but in this article I can almost understand why.

In the biggest rise to battle, HRC was not really as vocal as some of the grassroots groups. Joe Solmonese wrote a letter addressing some of issues we already have discussed. And in someways, he wants us to be nice. But I needed to hear more from this group. I needed to know what else do they have in store for the battle.

Andrew would like to know as well. He really wasn't feeling the HRC and had this to say:

HRC claims to have spent $3.4 million on No On 8. The Mormon church was able to spend over $20 million, by appealing to its members. Why are non-gay Mormons more capable of organizing and fund-raising on a gay rights measure than the biggest national gay rights group? I mean: they claim (absurdly, but bear with me) 725,000 supporters and members. In the summer, the major problem for No On 8 was insufficient early funding. If HRC had led, they could have thrown their money weight behind it. If every supporter had given $20 - chump change for the biggest ever battle yet for civil rights - they could have delivered $14 million overnight. So why didn't they?

That's a very good question. Sure there are a lot of Mormons, but with all of the HRC star-studded galas, funraisers, and big time events, shouldn't they been ready for war? I, like Andrew is concern over the reactive stance of HRC. I need them to act like the JLA, be out there fighting for us, not coming in at the last minute. I need to feel secure in their purpose, as well as, secure in their existence. I'm not so sure that we need them, some of grassroots groups are doing just fine. And all the money they get from us, what is it really going to?

Right now, I wonder if HRC is a after High School popular club for the gays that were picked on. I wonder are they really working for us or just title-hungry folks. I need you to be more HRC, we need you to be more. Please step it up.

Do we have a gay action plan?

Do we have a gay action plan? Election year is coming up and we are growing more and more; have we thought about our needs, well, our real needs?

Recently, everyone is talking about the support we will have with new leadership and how more marriage opportunities are on the way. And while all of that is good, is that enough? Are there more items we should put on the list? I think there is.

For me, I need to know if there will be stronger outreach to LGBT people of color. I would like stronger media about our accomplishments and triumphs. I need to know who our leaders are and their next steps in the upcoming year. What are the goals of the gay media? What is the power and purpose of the gay mafia? Do we have a five year plan to shape up our rights. Are we opening more businesses than bath houses and bars? And are we ready to really more forward?

I hope so.