Alliance of Fighters: When the oppressed band together with vision, they make a mighty opposition

Opinion: Representatives from the faith, business and arts communities joined political activists and public officials on April 20 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington. Illustrating in microcosm D.C.'s remarkably successful LGBT movement, the evening gathered an array of leaders and fighters who have overcome differences of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation and gender identity to work together. D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton spoke of the test our coalition will face in the months ahead as Republicans in Congress attack the District of Columbia with a series of social riders to our city's Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations bill, seeking to impose their will over that of D.C. voters on issues from abortion funding and school vouchers to marriage equality. The challenge is heightened by concerns that our purported Democratic allies will use the District as a bargaining chip, as they did in the recent Fiscal Year 2011 budget deal. The power Congress holds over our city has loomed over GLAA's efforts over the years, from hate-crimes legislation to domestic partnerships to sodomy law repeal. Every advance involved a broad-based effort. We knew that winning and keeping marriage equality required not only a supermajority in the D.C. Council, but a diverse coalition to prevent the anti-gay right from dividing our city along racial and religious lines. Solid preparation led to a landmark victory. ... (more)

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