Dissension in the Ranks [Exhibit Panel]

The Millennium March on Washington took place APril 30, 2000. It represented a major rift in the Gay civil rights movement.

Unlike the first three Marches on Washington, which were called for and planned by grassroots activists, the 2000 March was initially called for and organized by the Human Rights Campaign and the Metropolitan Community Churches. Criticism focused on the closed nature of the planning process and the lack of a galvanizing political agenda. Many GLBT leaders called for a boycott, and some prominent GLBT organizations did not endorse the event.

Despite the controversy and the boycott, masses still descended on Washington, DC, although critics contend it was smaller and less diverse than the two previous Marches.

The March platform called for the passage of a hate crimes bill and racial justice. Speakers repeatedly stressed the need to get out the vote on election day. To accommodate persons with disabilities, the March route was dramatically different and shorter than the other three Marches.

For the first time, the March included a festival, which stretched down Pennsylvania Avenue. Allegations of theft and fraud, and a subsequent FBI financial investigation clouded the festival, thus the Millenium March ended the way it began – in controversy.