Active-Duty Military in San Diego Pride Parade

[JayQueer]

Has anyone heard about this? Today, in San Diego, marked the first time that active-duty military marched in a U.S. Gay Pride Parade.

This is historic, folks.

I'm so proud of our gay guys (& gals) in uniform! Yay

They had 350 military people (mostly Active Duty, from San Diego & Camp Pendleton), and mostly from the U.S. Marines & Navy.

Here's an article with 2 photos --

http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2011/07/active-duty-military-contingen.html


What must the anti-gay people think about this? Their heads must be exploding right now.


(Yes, I'm aware someone else started a somewhat similar thread a few days ago in "Hot Topics" but as we all know, "Don't ask Don't tell" has become a big political topic -- so it belongs here in "Politics" too).

 

[Kulindahr]

I think it's great that all the branches were represented.

 

[JayHawk]

They were planning this on toilet room walls ( the way all the best news is passed ) way back in the spring when I was living there.

It is amazing and heart warming. What is even better to me is moving from a place SD where people accept and no body bats an eye to the center of the country KC... literally. And while almost nobody here is outwardly gay and I am sure the homophobes are rampant... yet in the middle of the city exist a place that is gayer than Hilcrest in San Diego in many ways and everyone appears gayer or at least european BUT everyone is there not just the gay crowd. There are tons of just average folks enjoying life and not caring at all about how other people are enjoying their lives. If it is changing here in the middle then it is really changing... IMHO

I was at my gym in Overland Park which is fairly stiff upper lip kinda country... lots of money and republican values... yet there are gay clientele who train and no one bats an eye.

AS a great singer once said: "The times they are a changin'"

 

[JayQueer]

They were planning this on toilet room walls ( the way all the best news is passed ) way back in the spring when I was living there.

JayHawk,

Did they really write about gay pride on the toilet room walls in the military bases in San Diego? What kinds of things did they say? Was it homophobic or vulgar?

 

[chance1]

On line to get into Rich's right now

Hope to see some military there

 

[rareboy]

It was noted however on the site noted in the OP:

...this was NOT the first time active duty gay service members will be participating in a Pride parade. That—as documented in Randy Shilt's landmark book on the ban, "Conduct Unbecoming"—was THIRTY-SIX YEARS AGO when Army PV2 Debbie Watson and her partner Army PFC Barbara Randolph, Air Force SGT Skip Keith, and
Air Force TSGT Leonard Matlovich, along with a group of gay veterans, participated in the 1975 New York Pride Parade. Photos at” http://***********/66yoeou andhttp://***********/6ywq9p6

Given indifference today to any part of our Community’s history not spoon fed to them, one isn't surprised someone as young as Mr. Sala or even the presumably older organizers of SD Pride were unaware of that, but were they in a coma two years ago when it was widely publicized—particularly in California—that then still-serving Army National Guard LT. Dan Choi was one of the grand marshals of San Francisco's Pride Parade? And, as others have noted, gay and lesbian veterans have been appearing as such in Pride events for at least a quarter century.

It is too bad that Matlovich's contribution to the discussion of gays serving openly in the military has been forgotten by so many.

 

[Rex]

Already a thread on this:

http://www.justusboys.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349953

 

[jackoroe]

We can have two! It's great to see those serving being able to participate in a parade openly. Good for them!

 

[palemale]

We can have two! It's great to see those serving being able to participate in a parade openly. Good for them!

Yes. And thanks to Prez Obama and Congressional Democrats who made it possible (not to mention the millions who kept the pressure on to force them to do it).

 

[jackoroe]

Yes. And thanks to Prez Obama and Congressional Democrats who made it possible (not to mention the millions who kept the pressure on to force them to do it).

Of course they deserve mention as do the senate republicans who ensured it"s passage. Just an oversight on your part, I"m sure.

 

[Kulindahr]

Already a thread on this:

http://www.justusboys.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349953

Over we we try to look at the political aspects as well.

This has got to have Republicans reeling: this time it's not a couple or two, or a "token" on display, but a mass of unarguably patriotic and dedicated Americans who have put their lives on the line -- and from every branch of the military. It may not be millions, but there are certainly tens of thousands out there right now, reading about this, and thinking in the direction of their fundy ReligioPublican friends, "WTF are you guys talking about?" and changing their minds.

Spread across the country, that may not seem like many. But in many places, it doesn't take many. Really, we need to change only 3% - 4% of voters' minds, and it's all over.

Of course they deserve mention as do the senate republicans who ensured it"s passage. Just an oversight on your part, I"m sure.

And don't forget nowhere man, Joe Lieberman.