In preparation for the National Equality March in Washington, Oct. 10-11, organizer and LGBT activist Cleve Jones held a national press conference via telephone Sept. 14 where he stated that now was the time for the LGBT community to push for full federal equality.
"We are tired of these state by state, city by city, county by county fights that create impermanent victories," stated Jones. "It is now time to push for federal action."
Jones went on to describe the civil-rights movement of the early 1960s, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. not only traveled across America through the small towns and cities but also to Washington D.C. to force the federal government to take action.
When pressed about proposed equal-rights bills that have been criticized in the past for making too many concessions to LGBT rights, Jones stated that the march would not endorse a specific piece of legislature and that the march would only have one goal: to gain complete rights for LGBT individuals on the federal level.
Said Jones, "Every time we participate in one of these compromises we shoot ourselves in the foot and undermined our own humanity. This time we will push for the whole ball of wax."
In spite of Jones's passionate view of the march, the activist stated that originally he was against a public demonstration and that when people asked him about organizing such an event he would discourage them from these actions.
Jones said that following President Barack Obama's election he had "high hopes" that the LGBT community would make some important headway in gaining more rights on the national level.
However, after nearly a year of what he termed being pushed aside for "more important issues," Jones felt that a demonstration might be a great way to give the LGBT community more momentum on the federal stage.
So far, Jones, who has been touring the country in order to rally support for the march, has seen a large amount of public interest in the event, especially within the LGBT youth.
"I'm expecting big numbers," stated Jones. "I've been on the road for the last few weeks, attending rallies and town hall meetings and I've been very happy with all the support I have seen."
Jones also stated that the upcoming march will be better organized and be less costly than other recent demonstrations. He also assured reporters that issues like transportation and restrooms should not be a problem.
To find out more about the Chicago group planning to join the March on Washington, look up "LGBT Equality March: The Chicago Contingent" on Facebook.