As www.cnn.com announces, hundreds of thousands of Americans gathered together in the US capital, Washington, D.C. on Sunday, October 11 for the National Equality March.

The day before the event, the US President Barack Obama publicly promised the largest American LGBT rights group – the Human Rights Campaign to end the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military ( the “Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell” policy) at the HRC annual dinner, but offered no timetable for acting on that promise.

The October 11-th march, where the participants were calling for an end to the “Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell” discriminatory policy and equality in marriage, and which coincided with National Coming Out Day, after passing the White House, stopped near the US Capitol. The famous LGBT rights advocates and popular figures, including Christine Quinn, the first openly lesbian speaker of the New York City Council, prominent LGBT advocate Cleve Jones, singer Lady Gaga, actress Cynthia Nixon, of the popular series “Sex and the City” fame, and others addressed the crowd and called them for action.

Among the speakers was also Judy Shepard, whose homosexual son, Matthew Shepard became a victim of the hate crime. He was kidnapped and severely beaten in October 1998. 22 years old student died five days later in a hospital.

It is worth to note that the US House of Representatives last week passed the hate crimes bill, which is bearing Matthew Shepard’s name. The legislation that expands the definition of such crimes to include attacks based on sexual orientation and gender identity, is awaiting a Senate vote for now.

The National Equality March video material is available on the website of the event organizing group – Equality Across America - www.equalityacrossamerica.org, and also on www.nationalequalitymarch.com.