SAN DIEGO: Hundreds Of Active Duty Military March Openly In Pride Parade

For first time in American history, yesterday hundreds of openly gay servicemembers marched in a gay pride parade as the military town of San Diego cheered.

The crowd roared as the group waving military flags and holding placards identifying their military branch walked past the thousands. Every branch of service was represented Saturday, including the Coast Guard. Marines and sailors ran out carrying their branch's flags over their heads. One Marine stopped to pose with two towering bikini-clad blondes in stiletto-heeled boots. Onlookers stepped into the parade route to salute them. One man in a rainbow colored shirt waved his feather boa and yelled "Hooah!" the military battle cry. The national Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - representing gay and lesbian active-duty military personnel - informed organizer Sean Sala that they are warning members that it is still a risk to come out as long as "don't ask, don't tell" is on the books. Sala, a former Navy operations specialist, said it's time for the gay and lesbian community to stop hiding in fear.

Photo above and video by Rex Wockner. Many more photos at the link.

Don't Kiss The Evil Preacher

A 74 year-old North Carolina woman has been charged with assault for kissing an anti-gay preacher demonstrating outside a gay pride event.

Joan Parker admits she kissed a preacher on the cheek at the event, proclaimed by the Salisbury mayor as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Day. "He was just waving his arms and has a Bible in one hand, up and down, and screaming at the top of his lungs, `sodomites' and `you're going to hell,"' Parker said in a phone interview. "I thought he needed a hug. So I gave him a hug." At some point, Parker said, the preacher turned to yell to a man with a camera to take a picture of her. Also at some point, she kissed him. On the cheek, she said, not on the mouth. "He claims I kissed him on the lips, and he's a damned liar," said Parker, who is from Colfax and said he was at the event with her husband to show support. "I believe I did kiss him on his cheek." The preacher, James Edward Belcher of Taylorsville, said he never claimed Parker kissed him on the lips, but that's only because he turned his face as she came toward him.

Police estimate that 200 anti-gay protesters attended the small pride event, which saw only 2000 LGBT attendees.

Obama's Pride Reception Speech

Bill Donahue: Naked! Gays! Everywhere!

"There is no demographic group in the nation, among all the racial and ethnic affiliations, which ever features nudity, half-nudity and simulated sex acts in their parades. Indeed, they don't even march in dog collars. But to those whose idea of freedom is genital liberation, sexuality is their central identity. The real problem here is the reluctance of the media to accurately cover gay pride events. The bias is palpable." - Catholic League blowhard Bill Donahue, who apparently has never attended NYC's Puerto Rican Day Parade.

More On Seattle's "Queer Anarchists"

The so-called "queer anarchists" who rampaged through the streets after Seattle Pride have issued a statement.

Last night, some queer hooligans had the audacity to take the streets for the third year in a row. It was a smashing time! Queers Fucking Queers, a free, all-ages street party, erupted on the corner of 12th and Madison at midnight last night. The party quickly breached the confines of what’s tame and legal during Pride weekend when somebody smashed the window of a Ferrari dealership near the meeting point. Then the homo hoards charged down Pike, the windows of two cop cars left shattered in their wake. Rainbow flags became weapons as the queers raged on down Broadway, the cops sniffing along after like rabid dogs on the prowl. But these fascist prudes were too slow to protect a Bank of America ATM and American Apparel from this hot mob of style vandals. The hood of a cop car briefly transformed into a dance floor, and queers fought the cops in the streets. One person was hauled off to jail for "pedestrian interference", but others fought off the pigs and escaped their nightsticks with the help of friends.

At the top of this post is the front of the flyer handed out before the dumbassery began. Download the rest of it here (PDF).

Assholery After Seattle Pride

According to KOMO television, several hundred so-called "anarchists" rampaged through the streets of Seattle last night in an action that some said was in protest of the commercialization of gay Pride. Police cars and storefronts were destroyed by rock-throwers.

Several hundred people swarmed through the Capitol Hill area overnight, noisily vandalizing stores and smashing windows before dispersing into the darkness. Police say the drama began shortly after midnight Sunday when a flash mob gathered, passing out flyers, during a dance party. But the mob soon went out of control, creating havoc, said Renee Witt of the Seattle Police Department. The mob marched down 12th Avenue and Broadway, yelling and chanting. Some carried rainbow flags, while others carried red-and-black flags and wore masks.

Eventually some people started smashing store windows, damaging property, spray-painting slogans and bashing in the windshield of a patrol car. "It was just a walk down the street - it was a dance party down the street - and some idiot started throwing things," said one young woman who was there. Some people in the group, described as anarchists, apparently chose to use Gay Pride Weekend to send to message of protest - upset at how much gay pride is now part of the commercial mainstream. "There are some anarchists, gay activists, that don't want to be assimilated into capitalists' culture, and they feel like they're being exploited by companies like American Apparel," said Endresen Evans, who lives on Capitol Hill. That's why it appears protesters specifically targeted the store. A rock was thrown through the window and then vandalized with black spray paint.

Other say the melee had nothing to do with gay Pride at all and that only a handful of those on the street were with the group of "anarchists."

At NYC Pride 2011

By far the most popular person at yesterday's parade was Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose team had distributed thousands of placards reading "Promise kept! Thank you, Governor!" Hit this Gothamist link for lots more photos from the day.

CHICAGO: Thirty Gay Pride Floats Discovered With Slashed Tires

The management of a company that provides floats to Chicago Pride arrived this morning to find dozens of slashed tires.

Chuck Huser, owner of long-time Pride float provider Assocated Attractions at 4834 S. Halsted on Chicago's South Side, said the floats were fine when he left 8 p.m. Saturday night, but when he returned 5 a.m. Sunday to start preparation for drivers to depart, he found two tires punctured each on more than 30 floats. "This is catastrophic," he told Windy City Times at 8 a.m. June 26. "This has never happened before, and we have been doing this since 1989." The attackers broken in but did no other damage to the floats, and they took nothing else, leaving Huser to believe this had to be a hate crime. No notes were left. Huser has filed a police report, but his main focus the morning of the Pride Parade was finding an open tire shop, where they were running back and forth to repair the tires.

(Tipped by JMG reader Carli)

NYC Pride Weather

The first sunny day in a week.

Westboro To Picket NYC Pride Today

More here (PDF).

SLIDESHOW: JMG Pride Party

Last night's JMG pride party (and marriage celebration!) at the Gramercy Theater was LOTS of fun. Promoter Chip Duckett staffed the room with a small flotilla of leggy drag queens who kept the booze and nibbly bits flowing, but my favorite part was when the JMG cookie trays went around the room. (See above.) Reportedly, I'm not as bitter and cynical tasting as you might expect. I met readers from all over the country, as well folks from Singapore, Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Huge thanks to all for coming out! Hit the slideshow below for lots of groovy faces. Full-screen versions here.

TONIGHT In NYC: Free JMG Pride Party & Marriage Celebration With Open Wine Bar & Legendary Drag Performer Jackie Beat!

If you're in Manhattan tonight, please consider joining me and fellow JMG readers for a special Pride Party in the private lounge at the Gramercy Theatre, 127 East 23 Street. Beginning at 10pm we'll have an open wine and champagne bar courtesy of Barefoot Wines. Slurp! Come celebrate one of the greatest victories in LGBT history!

AND the first 20 people to respond to this email: JMGParty@gmail.com will start the evening with free tickets to the new show by legendary drag performer Jackie Beat, Pray Away The Gay. (Enter the discount code "JMG" for $18 tickets if you don't make the freebie cut.)

I'm looking forward to seeing lots of you there!

A Rainbow State Of Mind

The Empire State Building is usually lit in all lavender for gay Pride weekend. (Source)

SAN DIEGO: Active Duty Military To March In Gay Pride Parade For First Time

Some real American history will be made at San Diego Pride.

"To my knowledge [it is] the first time in the history of Pride in the United States, ever, that we have said, 'Active duty, you are welcome,'" organizer Sean Sala said. "We want you to be there without fear of repercussions, because we love you." Sala, an active-duty sailor, said he was bothered to see that police and firefighters were represented in the Pride parade, but not the people who serve this country. "I thought it was weird because San Diego has the biggest military installation in the United States, and military are public servants as well," he said.

About 200 service members have reportedly signed up to march. They will not wear their uniforms, as per military regulations.

Dan Savage On Joy Behar

Dan Savage, comedian Alec Mapa, and actress Raven Symone joined Joy Behar last night to discuss that Southwest pilot, gay pride, and New York marriage. Sharp-eyed viewers will note the NYC Digital Activists' banner in the clip of NYC Pride. At the 6:15 mark.

March With Us This Sunday!

The NYC Digital Activists will march in NYC Pride for the third year this Sunday. If you would like to march with our group, we step off at 1PM, on 37th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison. Find Section 11, Group 13. All are welcome! Look for our banner. And join us!

Pride Flag Goes Up At SF City Hall

Video by JMG reader Sean Chapin.