Queer Radical Resistance: A Political Analysis of the Dyke March

• In Event: Poster Session: Current Studies of LGBT Politics & Normative Political Theory
  In Poster Session: 50 Years of LGBTQ Scholarship at APSA Mini-Conference Poster Session: Current Studies of LGBT Politics

Abstract

The Dyke March, one of the broadest reaching, longest lasting protest marches in the United States, focuses on lesbian/dyke visibility and the democratic principles of inclusion, equality, and participation. The first ever Dyke March took place in Washington D.C. on April 24, 1993. Every year since, Dyke Marches have been organized in cities and towns across the United States and around the world, most often during their Gay Pride weekend. Despite its importance and necessity, we know little of the origin and global expansion of the Dyke March. In democracies, protest marches are a critical way for minority viewpoints to gain recognition, to shape the political agenda, and to build community space (Gillion 2013). Both within and outside of the broader LGBTQ political movement, the Dyke March began as a site for radical democratic politics and intersectional mobilization. Dyke Marches depend on the voluntary civic engagement of participants to continue, resisting institutional hierarchy, state affiliation, and market support. Drawing on over 20 face-to-face interviews with lesbian organizers in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles as well as numerous secondary documents, I analyze the origins of the first Dyke March and discuss what factors facilitate its continued success. Beyond their value in sustaining the diversity of the LGBTQ movement, the longevity of Dyke Marches illustrates the powerful democratic impact of any political action governed by inclusion, equality, and participation.

Author

• Sara Angevine, Whittier College