In a phone call this afternoon, Cleve Jones called on the LGBT community to support the Equality March.

Now is the time, he said, for federal action – the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress provide us with a unique window.

His remarks came in response to local LGBT organizations who have complained that a national march siphons off energy, money and volunteers from local Congressional districts and civil rights fights.

But Jones said that “I reject the notion that there’s a finite number of volunteers at any one time. An equal amount of money is spent every weekend on major parties.”

If people are worried about money and volunteers, he said, then they should focus on growing the movement.

“A historic opportunity is open to us. It would be foolish and short-sighted not to push [for LGBT rights] on a Federal level. It is simply a matter of fact: true equality can only come from the Federal Government.”

Cleve said that he was “tired of the laundry list of individual demands that allow legislators to prioritize and compromise.” He is advocating for an ominibus bill similar to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

But Jones said he’d also be happy with individual bills that added up to a package of full civil rights.

**A reminder – 365gay will be at the March!**

We will have a meet up with other readers at Armand’s in DC at 7 pm on Sat. Oct. 10 (that’s the day before the march). It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet with pizza, salad and drinks for $12 each – but we need to give them a headcount by next week. So email me at jennifer.vanasco@ logostaff.com if you’d like to meet readers and (hopefully) some writers!