National Equality March DADT Protest & Memorial for Leonard Matlovich - Oct 10, 2009

LGBT Movement Legends Frank Kameny & Rev. Troy Perry Lead Historic DADT Protest & Leonard Matlovich Memorial Service Day Before National Equality March.

Speakers Span Four Decades of Fighting the Ban on Gays in the Military.




Anyone interested in learning about the history the struggle for LGBT civil rights can meet several of its principle players at one time when Frank Kameny, the primary architect of the modern LGBT movement and fellow legend the Rev. Troy Perry, founder of Metropolitan Community Churches, lead the DADT protest and memorial service for Leonard Matlovich, the first active servicemember to challenge the militarys ban on gays, beginning at 2 pm on Saturday, October 10th, in Washingtons Congressional Cemetery where Leonards gravesite has become an international symbol of the fight for LGBT equality, and poet Walt Whitman's lover, Peter Doyle, is also buried.

Kameny first protested the ban at the Pentagon in 1965 and inspired Leonards 1975 confrontation with the U.S. Air Force. He and Perry, who fought side-by-side with Leonard against the Briggs Initiative in California and was arrested with him in front of the White House protesting President Reagans AIDS neglect, will be joined by well-known LGBT leader David Mixner and gay veterans both of the military and the long fight against the ban including Tracy Thorne-Begland, Jose Zuniga, and Tanya Domi from the 1993 effort when Bill Clinton was President up to and including todays heroes Lt. Dan Choi, Anthony Woods, Alex Nicholson, and Eric Alva.

Music for this rare, historic gathering of LGBT Movement leaders will be provided by the group Potomac Fever from the Gay Mens Chorus of Washington DC.

The public is invited. Congressional Cemetery is accessible by DC METRO. Take the Blue or Orange line to Potomac Ave or Stadium-Armory Station then walk to the cemetery at 1801 E Street SE at Potomac Avenue. Street parking.

Speaker bios at http://equalityacrossamerica.org/blog/?p=4326

For further information about Leonard Matlovich go to www.leonardmatlovich.com.

Thank you.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• National Equality March
• Don't Ask
• Don't Tell
• gays
• military
• Leonard Matlovich
• Dan Choi
• DADT

[xadam2dudex]

young people today need to find their own hero to lead the new fight for equality.. Harvey Milk and Leonard Matlovich belong to another generation.. I only hope new heroes come up to lead the fight against the bigots and hateful christian right trying to crush the LGBT community ..

[leonardmatlovichCOM]

WHAT "new fight for equality"? It's the same one's been going on for decades. Battles already won by those like Harvey & Leonard made it possible for LGBTs to be as out as they are in a country in which gays are no longer officially labeled "mentally ill," put into mental hospitals, given shock treatments; no longer thrown into jail. Yes, we need ADDITIONAL heroes, but we'll never win if we do not learn from those who came before upon whose shoulders we stand.

[xadam2dudex]

of course.. I was saying the younger generation needs to grow their own leaders to take up where these previous leaders left off.. the "new fight" has changed where we use to fight just to keep from being the target of hate ..now it has moved towards getting the same rights as any citizen including real marriage not the separate but equal civil unions

[leonardmatlovichCOM]

I'm sorry, I know u "mean well," but you're still displaying a willful & woeful lack of knowledge. The fight "just to keep from being the target of hate" had been transformed even b4 Harvey & Leonard arrived. U write of "getting the same rights as any citizen" apparently not hearing Leonard say in THIS video the SAME THING IN 1975! There's a putrid new brand of Kool Aide being deepthroated: "WE are inventing real activism." Sorry, u haven't. The sooner u realize that the sooner we'll win.

[goofyboi2008]

I found my self with tears in my eyes when it was carved in his tombestone

"When i was in the militery they gave me a medal for for killing to men and a discharge for loving one"

Rest In A Eternity Of Peace

I bow My Head To You

[JoeyBoya]

EQUALITY FOR ALL pointblank

[RandolfeWicker]

Matlovich is a hero of mine. I'm going to attend this event.

I'm hoping to shoot some video & do a vlog about this event as well. I've known and worked with Frank Kameny since 1962

[RyanReporting]

Very well put together