Margie Patton
Staff Writer
Washington, D.C.’s gay pride parade will be a little more vivid this year with the historic addition of a U.S. Armed Forces color guard.
The June 7th parade will be the first major city Pride parade to feature a military color guard, a group of soldiers who bear the standards of the red, white, and blue of the U.S. flag as well as flags of each military branch.
The eight-member team will help lead the one-and-a-half mile parade, marching in front of the Capital Pride banner and the parade’s grand marshal, former NFL player Chris Kluwe.
Armed Forces color guards have participated in a few gay pride events since the repeal of the military’s 2011 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ruling, but gay rights organizations have said invitations for the color guards to participate in parades have largely been ignored by local military offices.
Perhaps the addition of the color guard to the D.C. parade means that times are changing, particularly as the D.C. color guard team will be provided by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington itself. The Washington district guard has participated in numerous state functions, events for members of Congress, and even events for the president himself.
Keep Up With PopWrapped On The Web!
Author
