by Military contingents will lead the San Diego Pride Parade once more, but they won’t be the same as they were ten years ago.
San Diego Pride announced on social media that they were collaborating with SPARTA Pride, a nationwide group founded by and for transgender service members, to plan a military presence for the parade.
According to the post, Pride started as a demonstration at the Stonewall Inn. According to Pride, this year’s march is more than simply a celebration; it’s a protest for fairness, visibility, and the right to serve and recover with honor.
The announcement followed the San Diego Pride’s Military Department’s June 20 announcement that it will not be participating in the march due to several safety concerns and a lack of communication and support from Pride leadership.
In an interview, United States Marine Lauren Henson, the department chair, raised safety concerns about the marchers’ surveillance of transgender service members and possible audience reaction while Marines are stationed domestically in Los Angeles.
She and former chair Clay Kilpatrick were frustrated that the Pride organization does not advocate for LGBTQ+ service troops and veterans throughout the year. When local LGBTQ+ leaders and groups convened a news conference to protest the naming of the USNS Harvey Milk, Pride was conspicuously missing.
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Kilpatrick, who commanded the military department for ten years and still volunteers, stated in June that Pride has renounced its leading position as an advocacy group and that the quiet is troubling.
Kilpatrick’s criticism of Pride’s lack of timely communication and administrative assistance for the military department went beyond advocacy, and Henson agreed.
“San Diego Pride’s reduced capacity has prevented the department from communicating with its members to register and track its participants,” Henson said in the Military Department’s social media post.
Military enrollment on the Pride website has started over as a result of Pride evading the department.
Active duty, retired, veteran, and military families were encouraged to march in their own unique ways, whether that means wearing rainbow gear, uniforms, or whatever else makes them feel comfortable.
Pride announced in a statement that military contingents, including SPARTA members, will march in the parade this year, however some members of the San Diego Pride Military Department will not be taking part. Joining is open to all military personnel.
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A request for comment from SPARTA was not answered.
The contingents this year will be different. Because of Trump administration policies that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Marine Corps Band will not perform. Regulations from the Department of Defense may also affect participants.
In 2011, San Diego Pride became the first Pride event in the country to feature a march by a military contingent. Given that San Diego is home to one of the biggest military communities in the country, the participation has become customary.
The military contingent will lead the march at 10 a.m. on July 19, continuing the tradition despite President Donald Trump’s dismissal of transgender service personnel and VA healthcare cuts that affect LGBTQ+ veterans.
