09/28/2009
Read: Cleve Jones National Equality March Invitation to Obama
Will President Choose Gays or Golf?
Early last week, Cleve Jones sent a letter to President Obama inviting him to join LGBT people on the west lawn of the Capitol for the National Equality March. Read it above.
The President may not be in Washington D.C. during the March, as it was reported in mid-September:
"Obama, along with former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, has been invited to San Francisco for the Presidents Cup golf tournament, which takes place at Harding Park Golf Course October 6-11. The National Equality March takes place October 11, which is National Coming Out Day. In a Tuesday, September 15 phone interview, Tom Clark, the Presidents Cup executive director, confirmed that Obama, Clinton, and Bush have been invited, but he couldn't say whether they would attend the tournament. 'Normally, we don't hear anything until days before. ... We have not received confirmation from anyone yet,' said Clark. Previous Presidents Cup tournaments have featured appearances by the sitting president. This year's event marks the first time the biennial tournament is taking place on a public golf course."
In related news, a number of solidarity rallies are springing up around the country in various cities for those who can't make it to Washington D.C. Click HERE for information on rallies across the country.
Posted 8:31 AM EST by Andy Towle in Barack Obama, Cleve Jones, National Equality March, News | Permalink
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west lawn of the capitol? is that where the march will begin? i thought it was where it ended.
i keep reading the march route is "TBA" doesNT that mean "to be announced?"
Posted by: james | Sep 28, 2009 8:37:25 AM
Presidents traditionally don't go to these events. JFK didn't go to the 1963 Civil Rights march, Clinton didn't go to the 1993 GLBT event. It's a security nightmare.
Posted by: Hank | Sep 28, 2009 9:02:14 AM
Comparing this event to the Civil Rights March of 1963 is laughable. There is still plenty of room in D.C. hotels. The partnering hotel is available. As are the Beacon, Crowne Plaza, Days Inn Arlington, etc..
This is the leading indicator of the March's likely failure.
The March's website has undergone several big changes over the last weeks, de-emphasizing its importance and now pitching it as a first step in a national grassroots effort.
That's insulting to those who have worked at the grassroots level for decades.
What the organizers are saying is that its the first step in *their* national grassroots effort.
Such is life. The march will attract under 25,000 people and we will look like neophytes on network TV, etc..
And then the fingers will start pointing, mostly by the organizers complaining of apathy in the LGBT community.
The real problem isn't apathy. The real problem is an event which is deeply flawed in its conception and planning.
Sadly, it's an ego project.
Posted by: Josh G. | Sep 28, 2009 9:48:56 AM
first, i think, great, i'll be able to do something in NYC since i can't make it to DC.
then, when clicking through, i realize that the NY Marriage Equality march (normally right in my borough of Brooklyn) is being moved to DC.
WTF!
Posted by: Chris | Sep 28, 2009 10:16:18 AM
No Josh G., when the fingers start pointing, somehow it will be Obama's fault. Or the entire African-American community. ANYONE but "teh gays."
Posted by: Q | Sep 28, 2009 10:17:07 AM
Are Cleve and Barack BFFs? If not, I'm not sure why anyone would expect the president to show up at Cleve's birthday party.
Posted by: 24play | Sep 28, 2009 10:17:15 AM
Repulsive comments - ah yes the norm at towleroad.com
Posted by: walter | Sep 28, 2009 10:37:54 AM
Those who can, Try. Those who can't or won't, Bitch about it. Negative self-defeating queens are as deadly to the quest for equality as the homophobes and haters.
Posted by: Wayne | Sep 28, 2009 10:52:35 AM
Such cutting commentary and indignant insight! These brave blog commenters won't allow any dot to be unconnected and will work feverishly to expose the scandal and malfeasance at work behind the scenes...you people are courageous and intelligent!
What would we do without you? Would anyone ever make the connections you bring to our attention if you didn't do it? Praise be!! I never realized that the march/rally on DC is merely an exercise in ego stroking - just a big party for Cleve Jones where he gets to indoctrinate ignorant gays into believing that the community leaders of the past decades are failures and will be put to shame at Jones's birthday soiree. What an evil plan! Jones sounds like a communist, if you ask me.
Yes, you are the real heroes, blog commenters. You really have shown the rest of us how to achieve victory. You should be commended for your wit and bravdo.
You are the REAL teabaggers of the US. Bravo should reward you with a television series so we can get to know you all better and emulate your character.
Posted by: patrick | Sep 28, 2009 11:11:43 AM
Why do queers hate each other so much?
Why cant' Cleve throw a b-day march for equality? Why don't we ALL throw march's on our Birthday for gay rights? Every fucking day a March for Equality! Or we can all sit around with a Mimosa and watch Sex in the City on repeat hating hating hating.
Enough with the haters. it's getting so old and reductive.
Hate is the new paisley and you can't pull it off.
Posted by: Kitty Boots | Sep 28, 2009 11:27:01 AM
Cleve has just as much right to hold a birthday march on Washington as he does to dye his own hair.
Both are equally effective and stem from the same impulse: vanity.
Posted by: 24play | Sep 28, 2009 11:42:12 AM
Oh 24play that is such great analogy! What an incredible mind you have. Our community will achieve victory one day soon with people like you among our ranks.
I get it - hair dye and politics are both examples of vanity! Brilliant!!
I'm curious are you "two for play" or are you "twenty-four" play or is it "two foreplay?"
I just want to make sure I fully understand the pseudonym attached to the mind that can produce such nuanced thought. I am envious!
Posted by: patrick | Sep 28, 2009 12:03:09 PM
Why thank you, Patrick. I'm so glad you agree.
Unfortunately, I must admit my metaphor doesn't quite hold up.
When Cleve unconvincingly dyes his hair—after going handsomely and publicly gray for years!—he's the only one who looks like a vain, old fool.
But when he single-handedly announces a national march on Washington for LGBT rights, then refuses either to adjust course in response to near universal criticism that he hasn't left adequate time for planning and preparation or to pay anything more than lip service to nationwide grassroots organizing or involvement, unfortunately the whole community looks weak and foolish.
Posted by: 24play | Sep 28, 2009 12:25:15 PM
I'm totally willing to be supportive of these guys fighting for equality in their own way-- as long as they aren't attacking people for not going along with it.
And it's kinda interesting to me that these guys schedule a march, don't put much effort into planning or coordinating dates, attack anyone who questions whether maybe there is another weekend that would work better... then complain that Obama may be, instead of attending, going to a golf tournament that has been scheduled for the President for that weekend since 2007?
Posted by: mcc | Sep 28, 2009 12:25:50 PM
Let's see...a nationally-televised international PGA competition where the trophy's sponsored and presented in the name of the POTUS, or a small handful of lefty G/L'ers marching through the empty street of Washington during a Congressional Recess. Hmmmm.......
See you in San Francisco....
Posted by: Ted B. | Sep 28, 2009 12:51:21 PM
Sounds to me like there are lots of people signing up and many different organizations endorsing the march.
But don't pay any attention to that. You say there is not universal support and that is good enough evidence - if YOU believe it then it must be true. If anyone objects to this action then it should not happen.
Make sure there is a minimum number of attendees present and be quick to announce the entire weekend as a failure if the numbers don't match your arbitrary thresh hold.
I mean, lets be honest - the general US population is paying rapt attention to our next - our EVERY - move, right? Joe Blow Hetero in Missouri will tell his 2nd wife Jane that those gays aren't serious if less than 20,000 people show up. He'll say to his wife, "Jane, those gays don't really want equality if they didn't show up to Cleve Jones' vanity birthday rally in our nations capital. They should have listened to 24play in the comments section of that gay blog. He knows the score!"
How many would have to show up for the DC march to be a success? How many would mean a failure? If thousands of people participated and networked and built connections and gained skills around organizing locally as a result of attending the rally in DC would that be a failure?
Why is it so gosh darned hard to take being criticized for criticizing your criticism?
What a bunch of gay Sarah Palins!
Now really, wise one, tell us - is it "two for play" or "twenty four play" or "two foreplay?" With a pseudonym like that you must be a real champion of civil rights.
Posted by: patrick | Sep 28, 2009 1:38:50 PM
Walter. You think these remarks are repulsive? Obviously you have never been to Queerty
Posted by: Wolfie | Sep 28, 2009 1:43:36 PM
Yea Hank!
Lets all stay home and send our moiney to HRC that does jack shit so Joe Solomese can make 325K a year and buy 500 dollar suits!
The what we should do. THEY are our national effort right?
Posted by: Wolfie | Sep 28, 2009 1:52:10 PM
I've been working 24/7 because I just couldn't sit still anymore after learning that Nevadas' domestic partnership wouldn't do me a damn bit of good if I had a partner and we had an issue in Arizona. Luckily, my mom is cool. What if she wasn't? I have NO federal rights to have who I want make a decision for me unless I hire a high priced lawyer. Guess what? I'm poor, it aint gonna happen.
After reading the comments here, I am seriously asking myself, why bother? I am ashamed that someone who is in same predicament as me actually spent time calling hotels to check on room availabilty to prove something negative about what I am doing. For them.
Do you realize how many letters you could have written to your local elected officials to ask, no, demand policies to ensure our ,no, YOUR Equal rights? Do you not understand that the time could have been spent writing grant proposals for your local LGBT center? Maybe you could have found out about LGBT shut ins in your area who need someone to write a letter for them to Medicare? Honestly, I don't know whether to cry at this point or hold my head down in shame for you.
@24play: REALLY? No one is a saint. Lord knows I don't agree with everything Cleve Jones says or does, but, HE IS DOING SOMETHING. Other than negativety speading, what are you doing?
I am not saying that people have to support the march. But, I have to look at SOME of you who don't support it and wonder what your damage is that you would spend SO much time on such despicable time wasting when there is a world out there you could be affecting.
I am no Pollyanna who thinks the sun rises everyday with a Unicorn chorus. I am as mean a Bitch as has ever come out of West Covina, California, but, fer chrissakes people, if you don't like the way things are, DO SOMETHING!
I am truly reconsidering whether or not my Gays are worth the effort. I hope I'm proven right by trying to help, but, I gotta tell ya......
Posted by: Derek Washington | Sep 28, 2009 2:46:09 PM
Derek, what Cleve is doing is hijacking the LGBT movement for his own purposes, staging an embarrassingly piss-poor event on a national stage in all of our names, and effectively cock-blocking serious, strategic-minded national activists from staging an effective, well-planned, massive march on Washington at a well-chosen moment during Obama's first term (and probably even longer).
That is the SOMETHING that Cleve is doing. Bless his needy, insecure little heart.
And bless you, Derek, for so loving the smell of Cleve's farts that you're excitedly playing right along with his folly.
Posted by: 24play | Sep 28, 2009 3:14:59 PM
@24PLAY: Remind me to kick your ass.
I say that with love and good humour.
Of course.
Posted by: Derek Washington | Sep 28, 2009 3:22:54 PM
I wonder if we really know Jones' true birthplace. Have you wondered about that too 24Play?
Sniffing farts and drinking Kool-Aide and criticizing an event that hasn't even happened yet - it has neither failed nor succeeded - makes you sound like every other moronic lunatic not even trying to wipe the drool off their face while spewing racist, conspiratorial, fantasies about Obama.
The only difference between you and those people is that THEY are at least promoting a political agenda (a repulsive and at least xenophobic one). YOU are just whining about something about which you have absolutely no stake in. You are just a sore head, bitchy, fool because it make YOU feel good.
It takes ego to see ego.
Now really, please, mr respectful, strategic, insightful and wise, tell us is it "two for play" or "twenty four play" because it really would lend us more insight into your vapidity if we understood more about you.
Posted by: patrick | Sep 28, 2009 3:26:23 PM
And Derek, FWIW, finding out which hotels in DC still have rooms for rent—less than 2 weeks before Cleve's National Ego March!—takes about 30 seconds on Expedia, which still leaves plenty of time for Josh G to "write to [his] local elected officials,... write grant proposals for [his] local LGBT center, and...find out about LGBT shut ins in [his] area who need someone to write a letter for them to Medicare."
Aren't you LGBT Activism 2.0 guys supposed to be harnessing the power of the Internet to secure our rights?
Posted by: 24play | Sep 28, 2009 3:28:51 PM
Here, Patrick, since you've been inquiring so persistently—and so sweetly!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7YBw0c1UAo
That mix, and that mix only.
But be sure to crank it up. That way your boss Cleve will be able to hear it in his office right down the hall from you.
Posted by: 24play | Sep 28, 2009 3:39:56 PM
24Play, I've been following your comments about the March for some time now and have always found them to be thoughtful, informed, and intelligent. The farts line is unworthy of you.
Posted by: benjamin | Sep 28, 2009 4:23:49 PM