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“Finally, the military and big business understand that diversity is important, not just racial diversity, but LGBT issues, a new area of human rights,” he said. Justin Zielke, 34, who lives nearby and never misses a pride parade if he can help it, said this year’s parade, with the color guard and corporate sponsorships, felt exciting. ‘the gayest city in America.’ This endorsement, combined with an ever- increasing community of LGBT-friendly and owned businesses, and Destination DC’s dedicated ads, we’re eager to capitalize on the spending power of LGBT travelers whether they are coming for a family vacation or a party-filled pride weekend.” for pride and year round, for business and leisure, make a big impact on the local economy,” said Kate Gibbs, of Destination DC, formerly the DC Convention & Tourism Corporation.
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“While hotel occupancy numbers for this weekend will not be available until next week, we know LGBT travelers who come to D.C.
When is the gay pride parade 2014 in dc professional#
On five of its hotels in town, the company has hung enormous “#LoveTravels” banners that feature well-known gay and transgender Americans, including professional basketball player Jason Collins, who came out last year, and transgender fashion model Geena Rocero.Īmtrak, another corporate partner, has an LGBT blog extolling the virtues of arriving at gay pride events by train “rested, relaxed and ready for the celebration and fun of pride.” Other corporate sponsors include Metro, several hotel chains, banks, stores such as Walgreens and companies including Bud Light, Food Lion and Absolut Vodka. This year, the parade is being sponsored by Marriott, a nod, its Mormon owners say, to the estimated $200 billion LGBT travel market. The parade, like many others across the country that sprang up after the 1969 Stonewall riots, began 39 years ago as a flamboyant and at times shockingly sexual in-your-face protest against the homophobia, discrimination and police raids like those at the Stonewall Inn in New York that kept gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans in the closet and on the margins of society. event anymore,” said a clean-cut man in a green T-shirt who gave his name only as John. The theme this year, “Build Our Bright Future,” includes party events such as the Thunderdome, for a “hot night of leather and gear,” but also seminars on financial planning for retirement hosted by AARP. “I want them to know that no matter where you come from, or who you are, we’re all the same.” “I’m here to show my kids that there’s noting wrong with being gay or lesbian,” said Adriana Gonzalez, 25, watching the parade with her 1-year-old in an orange stroller and her 5-year-old holding her hand. This year, while there were the usual rainbow-colored banners, colorful beads and the occasional underwear-clad youth dressed like Playboy bunnies, the route was also lined with strollers, dogs and a whole lot of ordinary looking people. Organizers say that with attendance growing - organizers expected upward of 100,000 spectators - the once flamboyantly fringe affair has gone mainstream. Last year, several mainstream religious groups marched for the first time. Leaders of OutServe, an organization of gay military service men and women - who have been able to serve openly since 2011 - say this is the first time an armed services color guard has led a pride parade in the country. The military color guard was another first in the 39-year history of the parade. I’m just glad I lived long enough to see it.”Īfeefah Asare, 30, of Northern Virginia, who just moments before the color guard passed had been whooping it up and yelling “Happy Pride!,” stopped in shock and stared at the passing flags of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. “I never imagined that I could come from there to here. “Never in a million years,” Morgan said, a string of rainbow beads circling his neck. military color guard marched for the first time at the head of Capital Pride, the District’s gay pride parade, Morgan was, for a moment, speechless. He lied so he could serve in the Air Force, in the closet, wary and silent, as gay friends were drummed out. Bill Morgan, 76, was kicked out of the Citadel, the military college in South Carolina, because he was gay.