These are some of the photos that I took while at the Capital Pride Rally/March in Summer of last year, 2009. I think that these are examples of WUNC displays because of precisely what WUNC stands for- Worthiness: as I can only speak for myself, as a lesbian and a part of the LGBTQI community, the feelings of lack of self worth can be ever-present, depending on your support system and in these signs, symbols of worth are shown in each: love, "we are," "all," and "gay rights are civil rights." Seeing these signs made an impact on my life, as it was the first time that I had seen a display of approval or acceptance from a parents of a gay child. Unity is seen throughout as well- more obviously with the rainbows, triangles and screams for drag queens, just kidding- kind of; but also in the march itself, the fact that this huge crowd of people got together, clear of other duties or schedules to be another person in this walking, shouting, cheering, smiling force for equality amongst LGBTQI persons. Numbers- again, in the march itself, in the donations people and companies and *cough* politicians gave for this cause and lastly, Commitment- on that extremely hot day, in DC where there is little to no shade and also commitment of allies- a part of this community that I feel is left out way too much, but is a huge- majority- driving force. Just as men are extremely necessary in the movements towards equality for women, straight allies are vital in the push for LGBTQI rights.
These kinds of displays are going to absolutely help this community reach their goals, through action, visibility, relentless commitment and the number of people affected by the decisions of officials and overall populous feeling toward LGBTQI persons.
Worth is definitely shown by using the words “all” and “us” as their slogans. The image the movement portrays is that of inclusion, and because everyone is included, unity is also demonstrated. The fact that people are demonstrating together, and seeing themselves as fighting for civil rights (guaranteed to everyone) also illustrates unity. As in any protest, commitment is very apparent in the participants because they were committed enough to even show up! WUNC demonstrated by the participants in the protest definitely will help the movement’s success. All ages are represented, as are both sexes and a variety of sexual orientations. The movement demonstrates strength in numbers. Your account was very interesting and it made an impact on me because I can definitely sense your passion for the cause.
ReplyDeleteI agree that your photos of the Capital Pride Rally/March demonstrate worthiness. From the photos you can see there were a lot of allies of the LGBTI community there to support the cause. There were young and old people alike there. I particularly like the mother holding the sign "I love my gay son". That's definitely worthiness to me.
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