US gay advocates call for national march
Gay rights activists in the US are calling for a national march on Washington to coincide with National Coming Out Day on October 11th.
Cleve Jones, who worked alongside murdered gay campaigner Harvey Milk, told a gay Pride rally in Salt Lake City in Sunday that Congress must establish equality and marriage rights for LGBT people.
He said: “We seek nothing more and nothing less than equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states,
Speaking around the corner from the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who had campaigned vociferously for Proposition 8, Jones addressed their opposition to gay rights.
“I’ve got a message for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” he said. “I’ve got two words from California … I’ve got two words for the prophet … Thank you. Thank you for uniting us. Thank you for galvanising us.”
He added: “We thank you for unifying us as never before. We thank you for teaching our young people that they must be prepared to fight for freedom.”
In an interview last Friday, Jones said the combination of events such as a new president, the California Supreme Court upholding Prop 8 and the success of the film Milk meant the time was ideal to begin a “new chapter” in the fight for equality.
