Hundreds show support for gay rights at national march in Philadelphia

May 04, 2009|Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - Hundreds of gay rights demonstrators marched through the streets of the city's historic center yesterday carrying rainbow-colored flags and signs calling for equal rights in marriage, in the workplace, and in healthcare.

The National Equality Rally was billed as the first national demonstration since 2000 for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights and the first held outside Washington, D.C. The marchers displayed signs from dozens of organizations and photos of people they said had been killed because of their sexual orientation. The march ended with a rally in front of Independence Hall, where rainbow-colored umbrellas came in handy in a steady drizzle. The crowd listened to music from a band and a chorale, and a cheer rose at the sound of the bell from the spire of the building where the Constitution was drafted.

Speakers called for support for gay marriage, more money for AIDS research, and an end to workplace discrimination and the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which prohibits gays in the military from being open about their sexual orientation. One participant wearing a fatigue jacket and pink slacks held a sign saying "Do ask, do tell."

"We don't wilt, and we don't melt. We are here for equality now," Malcolm Lazin, executive director of the Equality Forum local gay rights group, which sponsored the event, told the crowd.

A few counterdemonstrators held religious signs near the gathering, and one preached with a bullhorn at marchers.

At the time of the last national rally, nine years ago, Vermont had just passed the first civil union law in the country. Now, gay marriage is legal in Vermont, Connecticut, Iowa, and Massachusetts, with bills pending in other states. California briefly allowed it last year, but a voter initiative repealed it.