• Service members allowed to wear uniforms at gay Pride Parade

    By Lauren Steussy, NBC San Diego

    Just a day before celebrations begin for this year's San Diego LGBT Pride Festival, the Department of Defense authorized all service members to wear their uniforms during the Pride Parade.

    The announcement comes after a Navy Region Southwest authorized sailors to march in their uniforms. Thursday's announcement is the final word for all members of the military.

    Read the original story on NBC San Diego.

    Approval was largely made acceptable by this year’s repeal of the federal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy.

    The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense in Washington sent a memo to all branches of the military Thursday afternoon granting the approval.

    "Based on our current knowledge of the event and existing policies," the memo read, "we hereby are granting approval for service members in uniform to participate in this year's parade, provided service members participate in their personal capacity and ensure the adherence to Military Service standards of appearance and wear of the military uniform."

    Service members are prohibited from representing their military service to campaign for political candidates or engage in fundraising. Asked if marching in a gay pride parade could be considered a “political statement,” a senior military official told NBC News that the request received a lot of attention at the Pentagon and, given the “sensitivity of the issue,” permission to march was granted. 

    Local commanders previously had the authority to grant military personnel to wear their uniforms. However, approval at a higher level was granted "now since the event has garnered national media attention," the memo stated. 


    It was a first last year, when active duty military personnel joined retirees to create a nearly 200-person strong group in San Dego's Pride Celebration. They wore t-shirts with their branch of the military on them.

    "Today is a great day of Pride! San Diego Pride is honored to have the privilege of celebrating our country and our servicemembers with dignity and respect," said San Diego LGBT Pride Executive Director Dwayne Crenshaw in a statement.

    “The fight for equality is not over and it is not easy, but this is a giant leap in the right direction.”

    NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski contributed to this report.

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  • Marchers fill streets as cities across US celebrate gay pride

    Timothy A. Clary / AFP - Getty Images

    Marchers walk down 5th Avenue during the New York Gay Pride parade on Sunday.

    By NBC News and news services

    From San Francisco to New York and cities and towns in-between, revelers crowded streets and sidewalks Sunday for annual gay pride parades.

    The sidewalks of downtown San Francisco were filled with colorful participants and spectators as the city marked its 42nd year celebrating the lesbian, gay and transgender community.  Organizers said more than 200 floats, vehicles and marching bands are taking part. The city's mayor, Ed Lee, was to address the crowd at the city's Civic Center.

    Organizers say San Francisco's events are the largest LGBT gathering in the nation.

    In New York, nearly 2 million marchers followed the lavender line painted on Fifth Avenue, marking the first anniversary of the state's same-sex marriage law.

    Throngs of spectators crowded along the sidewalks, waving rainbow-colored flags as participants, including Cyndi Lauper as grand marshal, went by. The parade was held one year to the day of same-sex marriage being legalized in New York state.

    The city's first married gay couple, Connie Kopelov and Phyllis Siegel, were also grand marshalls at the parade.

    Among those participating were Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who was accompanied by her wife. Quinn and her longtime partner were married last month.

    Bloomberg had a message to the rest of America: "The government should get out of your personal life."

    "New York is a place where you can do whatever you want to do," he said, before stepping off onto the parade route.

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    Each year since 1970, the parade has had a different theme. This time, it's called "Share the Love." Organizers say they want other states to pass legislation that allows same-sex marriage, which is already legal in six states and the District of Columbia.

    More than 300 groups marched down Fifth Avenue to the Stonewall Inn, the site of the 1969 Stonewall riots, which is widely considered the start of the national gay rights movement.

    In Chicago, organizers, working with the city, decided to extend the path of the march in the hopes of spreading out the huge crowds. More than 750,000 people were expected to descend on the area to take part in the revelry.

    NY GOP lawmakers targeted for gay marriage supportGov. Pat Quinn led the march. Just before things got started, he talked to reporters about the importance of equality -- particularly when it comes to marriage.

     

    "I think marriage equality is something we're going to get in Illinois," Quinn said. "It's going to maybe take a little while, but I think it's important to move forward."

    Mayor Rahm Emanuel marched as well, shaking hands and calling it a "landmark year" for gay and lesbian rights, thanks to President Obama signing hate crimes legislation, repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and speaking out in favor of marriage equality.

    For the first time, out, active-duty members of the military marched in the pride parade, with no fear of losing their jobs.

    "It's a great opportunity and a great event to come out here and actually show who we are, being in the military and gay and out," said Richard Dumbrique, a member of Gay, Lesbian, and Supporting Sailors, or GLASS.

    Hundreds of thousands of people were expected at Seattle's Pride Parade. The event hosted by Seattle Out and Proud featured 180 groups. Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire was parade marshal.

    Information from The Associated Press, NBCChicago.com, NBCNewYork.com and KING5.com is included in this story.

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