Four hundred United States soldiers, sailors, and Marines marched in full uniform at San Diego’s annual LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Pride Parade last Saturday, July 21.
This was the first time the Pentagon allowed military members to participate in a gay pride event in military dress; in last year’s parade, 200 members had marched with t-shirts stating their branch.
“Today is so important,” said Navy Lt Brian McKinney, who marched with his civilian partner, Hunter Hammonds. “It’s about putting on my uniform and taking pride in my service, my fellow service-members, my family and myself. It’s something I’m incredibly thankful for.”
Some members of Congress, however, have criticized the Department of Defense’s decision.
“I am calling on the Defense Department to halt these dangerous exceptions to policy for political purposes,” Representative Randy Forbes (R-Va.) stated in a July 24 press release. “This decision was an outrageous and blatantly political determination issued solely to advance this administration’s social agenda.”
Former sailor Sean Sala, a Servicemembers United Leadership Council member who organized the military contingent for the parade, replied to the criticism in a statement released July 25.
“Sen. Inhofe and his like-minded colleagues should… [meet] and [talk] with some of these gay troops and veterans instead of using their platform to try to bully the Pentagon into moving backwards,” stated Sala. “[The San Diego parade and festival] are in the same category of non-partisan and non-political community events as are many other events and parades in which service members are also allowed to participate in uniform.”
Two hundred organizations and contingents participated in the parade. Over 197,000 spectators attended, making this the fourth largest in the United States.
“The parade itself was a perfect demonstration of the support society has grown for the LGBT community,” said 18-year-old Quan Nguyen, who performed with the Ikeda Youth Ensemble. “It proves that the LGBT community isn’t alone in its efforts to attain equality.”
