Washington, D.C.--For the first time in a quarter of a century, there is a spontaneous, grass roots effort underway in the United States to organize a massive political action in Washington, D.C.

Known as the March On Congress To Pass the Matthew Shepard Protection Against Hate Crimes Act of 1999, the movement is calling on people to come to the U.S. Capitol building and adjacent House and Senate office buildings on January 6, 1999 to welcome the 106th Congress to Washington and to demand of their legislators the immediate introduction and enactment of long-delayed federal hate crimes legislation. The movement's goal is to bring upwards of 100,000 citizen lobbyists to Capitol Hill that day.

The effort, believed to be the first political action of its magnitude to originate and organize on the Internet, was sparked by the 105th Congress's failure to enact hate crimes legislation, and by the recent murder of 21-year- old, gay college student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming.

January 6 is the 106th Congress's opening day and marks three months to the day from when Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, tortured and left hanging from a fense on a Wyoming prairie. Shepard died as a result of his injuries six days later.

The March On Congress, although called a "march" for promotional and organizing purposes, will not include an actual march or any other organized activity--there will be no stage, no speakers, and no rally of any sort.

Plans are for supporters of federal hate crimes legislation to arrive on Capitol Hill during the morning hours of Wednesday, January 6. Congress convenes at noon. Before that time, many participants are expected to pay visits to the offices of their respective representatives and senators, and members of the Republican leadership, including Speaker of the House New Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.

Those seeking to meet privately with their congress member or senator are being encouraged to call well in advance to schedule an appointment. Those who can, are being asked to return to their legislators' offices on the following day, Thursday, and again on Friday to press their message.

Although the suggestion for a national march appeared on the HRC linked web page, neither the HRC nor any other national gay and lesbian organization in the U.S. was involved in its origination.

The grass-roots, people sponsored movement is still developing and leadership just beginning to emerge. A volunteer, ad hoc steering committee of sorts has formed to promote the effort and to direct interested people to housing, transportation and other resources. None of those involved in trying to promote the event have ever met. They, and others angry over congress's inaction on hate crimes, or horrified by Shepard's murder, established contact with each other through the web site at www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2047. All of their communications have been via email and ICQ chat.

"We are simply encouraging Americans who recognize the need for inclusion of sexual minorities under a federal hate crimes act to exercise their constitutional right to petition their elected representatives," said Jennifer DeWalt, a lead organizer . "We are not organizing a march or a demonstration, or a feel-good rally that will wind up being about as productive as a huge group hug."

DeWalt said the decision not to have speakers was made in response to many comments received from the net community expressing strong opposition to the inclusion of political or organizational speakers in the January 6 activity.

"Some people want to have celebrities participate, and I think that's a great idea. I hope everyone, straight, or gay or lesbian, participates," said DeWalt. "I'm sure Oprah, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler, Ellen Degeneres and others could make a big impression on their congress members and senators if they showed up at their office doors on January 6."

Since the March On Congress was announced on the Geocities web site on October 20, twelve additional web sites have joined the effort by placing notices of the effort and links to the march information site on their own web pages. On October 24, HERO Magazine became the first national publication to announce its support of the effort and establish a link.

Based on information provided by individual web site operators, it is estimated that information about the January 6 March On Congress is being accessed by nearly 10,000 people each day.

In addition to the principal march web site at www.geocities.com/2047/march.html, web sites supporting and promoting the January 6, 1999 March On Congress as of October 25 include those operated by HERO Magazine, The InTowner newspaper, a mainstream community news publication in Washington, DC, The Park, a large bulletin board and chat server, CyberQueer, a gay and lesbian news, information and chat server, Youth Resources, a Washington, D.C. based youth services organization; Whitman- Walker Clinic, a nationally known health and AIDS services organization; Resoftlinks, an international news and information server; www.mattshepard.org, a Denver-based anti-violence organization, and the Sunday Night Supper Club of Lexington, KY.

Privately operated web sites participating include
www.gaytoday.badpuppy.com
www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/4073,
www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Stonewall/2138 and
www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/1192/shepard.htm.

More organizations and sites are expected to sign on in the coming days.

PotomacWatch is updating its March On Congress page on a daily basis and more often as new information warrants.