I cannot prevent anyone from getting angry, or mad, or frustrated. I can only hope that they’ll turn that anger and frustration and madness into something positive, so that two, three, four, five hundred will step forward, so the gay doctors will come out, the gay lawyers, the gay judges, gay bankers, gay architects … I hope that every professional gay will say ‘enough’, come forward and tell everybody, wear a sign, let the world know. Maybe that will help.

Harvey Milk spoke those words in 1978, with the intent that we, as the future, and as the wiser and ever so progressive generation, would take heed, and stand with our brothers and sisters in the struggle, faces as rainbows in the face of adversity. And together we would move towards the society that Milk, and so many allies like him had all their lives dreamed for us. Yet, the harsh reality is that we have been hesitant in the full force fight that we were to ignite in the minds of the systems, structures and societies of oppression that we face daily. And that hesitancy has let far too many of our brothers and sisters in the community of all colors and ages, fall through the cracks of our solidarity and they remain there for us to remember and mourn their loss. In doing that we often have to take a moment to stop and reflect on past efforts in the movement and analyze victories as well as losses. In that analysis we often observe oppression breaking us down through division. The division of intersection, class, racial standing and culture and majorly color.

That is why May 22nd, at noon sharp, in all our colors, Equality Across America, Full Equality Now! DC, Listen UP Live, the Lifestyle Power Players and many more allies and ally organizations will march to the Metro and ride right up to the White House. We urge all organizations to alienate the usual acts of charity and join all of us on that day in solidarity! for justice! for all! We are asking organizations, organizers and the much more than ordinary to:

1. Pick a color to represent your cause! (Wear it, paint it, rep it, wave it, graffiti it!)

Red represents HIV/ AIDS Awareness
Orange represents Repeal of the Defense Against Marriage Act
Yellow represents The Homeless LGBTQI Youth
Green represents The Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Blue represents The Employment Nondiscrimination Act and Transgender Inclusion
Purple represents Bisexual Inclusion
Pink represents Women’s Health Services
Black represents the Lack of Diversity in the LGBTQI Movement
Grey represents Immigration Rights
White represents People of Faith

2. Make some signs to send your message!

3. Find a convenient Metro stop to gather as a group {and possibly find folks to get on the bandwagon}!

4. MEET US AT THE WHITE HOUSE!
 Saturday, May 22, 2010
 12:00pm - 2:00pm
 The Metro to the White House
 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest
 Washington, DC

 
We will speak out and demand that our colors be recognized in unity, and our Human Rights be acknowledged, NOW! There we will "paint" a picture of the problems that really matter to the citizens of the United States of America! We will "illustrate" the importance of full federal equality in ALL matters governed by civil law in ALL 50 states! We will remind Obama that his White House is in its entirety supposed to be a "canvas" of change! Please note that all parties involved have committed that no one in attendance will do anything that is cause for/will result in any arrest.

All parties interested in endorsing and/or participating in this event should direct their inquiries to aiyi’ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dupont Circle Becomes Burial Ground For Homophobia

WASHINGTON, DC- Equality Across America (EAA), Full Equality Now! DC (FEN!DC) and Listen UP Live are taking action in solidarity to bring death to discrimination. On May 17, 2010, The International Day Against Homophobia, hundreds will gather at the Dupont Memorial Fountain all clad in Black and band-aids.

Here Lies Homophobia: An Action for Awareness intends to pay respect to the victims of other's ignorance by transforming Dupont Circle into a burial ground. Participants and passerbys will witness activists lying in silence and stealth under headstones in memoriam. Ultimately, rising in solidarity to honor the stories of the fallen and symbolize the strength of survivors who have been victims of homophobia domestically and internationally.

“I am humbled at the opportunity to serve as proxy for the faces of the fallen”, says Aiyi’nah Ford a Governing Board Member of Equality Across America. She is among one of several notables who will die-in. The families of Tony Perkins, Ty’nia Mack and Jason “Jaysen” Mattison, Jr. have all been invited to speak among the other victims and survivors at the vigil. The program will also include a eulogy delivered by spoken word artist SolSis and an original song by local LGBTQI youth activists. This event will kick off FEN!DC’s week of local actions to conclude on Harvey Milk's birthday, May 22, 2010.  Equality Across America (EAA) launched the call to action during the Winter of 2009.

Who: Equality Across America, FEN! DC and Listen UP Live

What: Here Lies Homophobia: An Action for Awareness

Where: Dupont Memorial Fountain in Dupont Circle

When: Monday May 17, 2010  from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Equalicon flyers are now available for download!

Print some off and pass them out or post them around town: