GRADUATION: U. students join in D.C. march

About 60 University students paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue with approximately 500,000 other supporters of gay, lesbian and bisexual rights in Washington, D.C., on April 25. The march, which was one of the largest in history, began at noon and lasted for over six hours. University students, who were 35th in a line of almost 100 different groups, had to wait over two and half hours before they could start marching, because there were so many participants. While rumors circulated that the cause of the delay was a huge counter-demonstration, there were actually only about half a dozen people protesting the march, carrying signs which read "Repent, sinners" and shouting slogans such as "Jesus saves." Their voices were barely heard, however, over the shouts of the marchers themselves. The march, which had representatives from all 50 states, began near the Washington Monument and continued past the White House and down Pennsylvania Avenue. Many marchers stopped in front of the White House to chant "Where is Bill?" because President Clinton was not in town to witness the march. University students marched with many other student groups, including many from the Ivies and from schools as far away as Stanford and Miami State universities. A popular slogan for the student groups during the march was, "We're here, we're queer, our parents think we're studying" and "Hey-ho, campus violence has got to go." The University student marchers, who left Houston Hall on a bus sponsored by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance at 6 a.m., said they felt an obligation to attend the march. A College senior, who wished to remain anonymous because her parents do not know that she is bisexual, said one of the reasons she participated in the march was to help people, like her parents, come to understand that there are "non-straight" people. "I think it's important for everyone to know that gay, lesbian and bisexual people exist, and that we're not these sex-crazed maniacs," she said. "Discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals in any form is wrong." A University lesbian couple, who attended the march together, said the march was a rare opportunity to feel comfortable expressing their affections in public. "[Today] is one of two days in the year that I can spend the whole day holding the hand of the woman I love, without being stared at or intimidated," said one woman, who also asked to remain anonymous. "Today is for us, like every day is for straight people," said the other. "Today we can be who were are, and we don't have to hide."