Yes! The atmosphere in the streets during those days was just incredible. I was also there with a group of friends, mostly Act Up buddies, but particularly with a friend of mine who was there to honor queer Vietnam War dead at the memorial. (His lover, whom he met in Vietnam while they both served there, died in combat after my friend had already rotated back stateside.)

My experience at the march was marred a little when federal cops used horses and violence (while several of them sneered at us and treated us like scum) to try to stop us from accessing the Vietnam War memorial. But we pushed through anyway and risked jail to do what we came to do.

Besides that, the entire experience was so shockingly joyful. I was already used to living in lower Manhattan where I felt myself (most days) like just any other normal person.

But the 1993 March on Washington was something else entirely. It was ... beyond affirming. As you mentioned, the subway system! Packed with queer people. The streets! Packed with queer people.

DuPont Circle was already very gay on a day-to-day basis, but during the March, wow!

All of us from our Act Up contingent left DC energized, optimistic, and prepared to keep fighting the good fight.

Thanks for writing about that amazing experience.