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March On Michelle Clunie and Dan Choi

Melanie Nathan- January 30, 2011.

Tonight gay activists stood up and told their stories at a NYC Special Screening of the Documentary “March On” to benefit Marriage Equality NY. (MENY) Michelle Clunie, of “Queer as Folk, ” Dan Choi and others were guests on hand to talk about their experiences in the  documentary and equality movement.

The documentary explores a group of families who took time off their day to day life, work, spent money and traveled to Washington DC; their hopes and how it changed their lives. Guest Britta tells LezGetReal that the documentary was not only informative as an important piece of advocacy for our fight for equality and civil rights, but very moving indeed, leaving most in tears.

We contacted Michelle Clunie, a relentless ally and activist, after the event:-

“The night was great!! Thee place was packed. Laura McFerrin, the director was there. The audience seem to love it, laughing in all the right places.  It seemed to really move people as it was from the ground up…about people who have really struggled and telling their personal stories on the way to the March. “

One man in the audience asked about progress how it seems we move forward but we also move backwards and Michelle responded “progress doesn’t happen in a clean, linear line..that it is 2 steps forward one step back…but that we have come a long way when you look back over the last 50 years.”

Michelle Clunie with Activists

Michelle continued: “ It is us, people…people connecting with others and reaching out, whether it be through Facebook, phone calls, text messages, e-mails or walking across a room and meeting a fellow activists and saying, ‘call me if you need anything”…I said, it’s us…the people we are a force that cannot be stopped when we are united and connect.”

Michelle told me that she mentioned a case in point “My friend Melanie reached out to me to introduce myself to Britta and Carla who are here tonight and they are fighting a case…. Britta stood up and told their story… and that is how communication works that is the power of communication and the role it plays not only in life and relationships but in activism….communication is the universal solvent.”

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Pictures for LezGetReal©

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
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