MARCH on Study Guide

MARCH ON Study Guide

AUDIENCE Appropriate for Junior and Senior High School, Colleges, LGBTQ Centers, libraries, classroom collections and churches. Not formally rated. There is no sexual content, nudity or adult language. Categories include; social studies, history, social justice, civil rights, activism, LGBTQ studies.

BASIC INFORMATION After the 2008 passage of California’s Prop 8 banning same-sex marriage and President Obama speak of his support to end the military policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, a small group of national leaders in the LGBTQ Movement called for a National Equality March (NEM) on the United States Congress in Washington D.C. The set date was October 11, 2009 which was officially, National Coming Out Day.

March On begins with footage of the October 11, 1987 Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, introduces families who have decided to go to the 2009 National Equality March, follows their trek to D.C. and ends with the National Equality March itself. To date, March On is the only film documenting the march with the exception of non-narrative C-SPAN footage of the march and speeches.

March On offers the stories of two moms who made a road trip to states where there is marriage equality and started a website ~ AreWeMarried.Com, a married lesbian couple from California who are one of the 18,000 allowed to marry before Prop 8, a New York gay couple who have been together 32 years and wrestled with religious bigotry, a man who served in the Navy for 5 years and was dismissed under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and a lifelong activist who has traveled this road for over 40 years.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION The event organizers asked Laura McFerrin to document the march. She set out to find several people who had diverse stories and had made the decision to go to NEM. Through facebook and networking, director Laura McFerrin honed in on 5 families who had made firm commitments to march. Each with different reasons, they were called to action. Laura interviewed them on the phone, sent instructions with questions and given a small video camera to film their preparations. As Laura said, “250,000 people marched on Congress and what I came to really understand is that every one of them has a moving, complex and important story to tell.”

BEFORE THE MOVIE SUGGESTIONS

Since the film is 92 minutes, you may want to begin preparation a few days in advance. Direct them to google the march to read some press about it. Look up DOMA & DADT. Should anyone not be familiar with the acronym, LGBTQ, it would be good to discuss it. What is the difference between marriage and domestic partnership?

Invite them to  take notes, tweet and post while watching using #MarchOnMovie  think about what is the purpose of a march, a parade, a pilgrimage. Are they the same thing?  see whom they relate to. What story is close to their own or someone they know.  pay attention to the song lyrics in the original score

DISCUSSIONS FOR AFTER THE MOVIE  Why did each of the 5 families decide to go to the National Equality March?  Who was your favorite and why?  How did the music contribute and advance the story?  What surprised you the most?  What did you learn that you never knew before?

ACTIVISM  Is there an issue you would march for today?  What form of activism interests you?  Do you know any activists? What makes them an activist?

FOCUS ON MARCHES  What is the difference between a parade and a march?  Have you ever been to a march? Why did you go? How was it?  What marches do you know of?  Do you think marches have any impact on society, on legislators, on spectators, on marchers?

WRITING OR STUDY ASSIGNMENTS Choose any national march. Write an essay about it: Who, What Where When Why.

Write a front page newspaper article about the 2009 National Equality March.

Plan a March. What is it for? Where does it take place? Who are the speakers? How would you publicize it?

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Marching on Washington, Lucy B. Barber 2002, University of California Press

COLLEGE LEVEL Finding Out: An Introduction to LGBT Studies. Deborah T. Meem, Michelle A. Gibson, Jonathan Alexander. 2013. SAGE Publications, Inc; Second Edition edition

HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL Gay America: Struggle for Equality, Linas Alsenas

FILMS “8” Play, The Fight for Marriage Equality entirely on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlUG8F9uVgM

The Times of Harvey Milk selections on Youtube

CSPAN footage of the entire 2009 National Equality March, 4 hours http://www.c-span.org/video/?289403-1/national-equality-rally-

WEBSITES American Foundation for Equal Rights http://afer.org

Gay Straight Alliance Network Resources http://www.gsanetwork.org/resources/posters-movies-and-more/recommended-books

Fair Education Act http://www.faireducationact.com/

Julie Anne Peters, author with great listing of resources. http://www.julieannepeters.com/