Activist Cleve Jones issued an open letter to President Obama to speak at the National Equality March on October 11, even though Obama is slated to attend a golf event in San Francisco that day.

"Equal rights are not a 'gay' issue," he wrote. "They are about our shared human rights: safety in our schools and jobs, equitable healthcare and housing, and protection for our families to name a few."

Jones also compared next week's march to the Civil Rights March of 1963, during which the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.

"We share Dr. King’s belief in the dignity and equality of all peoples, and his commitment to non-violence," he added. "And we share his faith that justice will prevail."

The entire letter can be downloaded at EqualityAcrossAmerica.org (this link opens to a PDF).