25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993

Jacob Miller - September 3, 2017

The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation was a large political demonstration in Washington D.C. on April 25, 1993. With an estimated one million attendees, it was one of the largest protests in American history.

The organizers of the events agreed upon seven primary demands:

We demand passage of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights bill and an end to discrimination by state and federal governments including the military; repeal of all sodomy laws and other laws that criminalize private sexual expression between consenting adults.
We demand a massive increase in funding for AIDS education, research, and patient care; universal access to health care including alternative therapies; and an end to sexism in medical research and health care.
We demand legislation to prevent discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in the areas of family diversity, custody, adoption and foster care and that the definition of family includes the full diversity of all family structures.
We demand full and equal inclusion of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in the educational system, and the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies in multicultural curricula.
We demand the right to reproductive freedom and choice, to control our own bodies, and an end to sexist discrimination.
We demand an end to racial and ethnic discrimination in all forms.
We demand an end to discrimination and violent oppression based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, identification, race, religion, identity, sex and gender expression, disability, age, class, AIDS/HIV infection.

These marchers helped shape the inclusive society we live in today.

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — April 25, 1993- March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. wearinggayhistory

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — 25th April 1993- Marchers standing on a pile of signs and waving some of them during the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights. Photo by Howard Sachs. Getty Images

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Hundreds of thousands of gay-rights demonstrators march down Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Washington D.C. 25 April 1993. The march, which is expected to attract one million people, aims at prompting legislation prohibiting all forms of anti-homosexual discrimination and a surge of new support for AIDS research. Getty

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Participants carry a banner during the Gay Rights March April 25, 1993, in Washington, DC. Over 500,000 gays, lesbians and bisexual activists and their friends and families participated in the largest gathering of gay men and lesbians in history organized to end discrimination. Getty

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — “ASIAN/PACIFIC QUEER -n- PROUD!,” National March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, Washington, D.C., April 25, 1993. Photo by William Tom

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Joe Herzenberg, the first openly gay elected official of North Carolina and the former Confederacy speaking at AIDS quilt display on Washington Mall, April 25, 1993. Photo courtesy of Mark Donahue.

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — “We made it up as we went along at the March on Washington-and we accomplished a great deal. The next generation needs to know that-and rise to the occasion.” Queerty

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Old Lesbians Organizing for Change A group of women carry an OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) banner during the March on Washington for Gay, Lesbian, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, Washington DC, April 25, 1993. Source- Getty

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — View of the banner held by demonstrators during the March on Washington for Gay, Lesbian, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, April 25, 1993. Getty Images

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — RuPaul performs at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, Washington, D.C., April 25, 1993. Photo by Porter Gifford, © Getty

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Nicholas Cardello and Kurt English at the1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation in Washington, D.C. ABC News

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Marchers addressed: Inclusion of LGBTQ+ history in the classrooms, support for same-sex adoptions, and the end of systematic discrimination, not only for LGBTQ+ folks but for women and people of color that included ending racism and police brutality. Confessionsofaboytoy

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25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — We demand passage of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender civil rights bill and an end to discrimination by state and federal governments including the military; repeal of all sodomy laws and other laws that criminalize private sexual expression between consenting adults. Confessionsofaboytoy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — We demand a massive increase in funding for AIDS education, research, and patient care; universal access to health care including alternative therapies; and an end to sexism in medical research and health care. confessionsofaboytoy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — We demand the right to reproductive freedom and choice, to control our own bodies, and an end to sexist discrimination. confessionsofaboytoy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — We demand legislation to prevent discrimination against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered people in the areas of family diversity, custody, adoption and foster care and that the definition of family includes the full diversity of all family structures. Confessionsofaboytoy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — We demand an end to racial and ethnic discrimination in all forms. Support for non-racist policies and affirmative action. An end to institutionalized racism. Equal economic opportunity and an end to poverty. confessionsofaboytoy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — We demand an end to discrimination and violent oppression based on actual or perceived sexual orientation: identification, race, religion, identity, sex and gender expression, disability, age, class, AIDS: HIV infection. confessionsofaboytoy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Culturally inclusive Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Studies program; and information on abortion, AIDS/HIV, childcare and sexuality at all levels of education. Establishment of campus offices and programs to address Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students’ special needs. Confessionsofaboytoy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Marlin Hofer and David Briley, the two men in the foreground, were both affected by the HIV: AIDS epidemic. When this photo was taken, Hofer was HIV-positive and Briley was living with AIDS. Photo by Wilfredo Lee: AP.

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Marchers unfold an AIDS memorial quilt with names of those we’ve lost written on its squares. Photo by Jennifer Law: AFP: Getty Images.

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Another goal for many marchers in 1993 was ending the military’s ban on LGBTQ people serving. In 1994, the Clinton Administration passed the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Law. upworthy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — Marriage equality was a long way from being a mainstream topic in 1993, believe it or not. But these marchers were fighting for issues like same-sex adoptions and fairer custody laws long before they had widespread support in the U.S. upworthy

25 Photos from The March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation of 1993 — AIDS Memorial Quilt at March on Washington 1993 — ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives

Keep Reading:

National LGBTQ Task Force – Reflections on the 1993 March on Washington

Los Angeles Times – Huge March Seeks Gay Rights: Protest: An End to Discrimination and Expanded AIDS Research Are Demanded. Park Service Crowd Estimate Of 300,000 Is Disputed by Organizers.

Huff Post – The 20th Anniversary of the LGBT March on Washington

Fortune – ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Was Announced by Bill Clinton 25 Years Ago

History Channel – Once Banned, Then Silenced: How Clinton’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy Affected LGBT Military

Time Magazine – ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Was a Complicated Turning Point for Gay Rights. 25 Years Later, Many of the Same Issues Remain

History Collection – 11 Remarkable Transgender People from History

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