Navy authorizes active-duty uniforms for San Diego LGBT Pride Parade

On the heels of the Supreme Court ruling confirming marriage equality, another announcement has been made supporting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community. The United States Navy has authorized Navy personnel on active duty to wear their uniforms while participating on Saturday, July 13 in the San Diego LGBT Pride Parade.

Since 2011, members of the armed services have been officially asked to march in the Military Contingent, the segment of participants at the beginning of the parade. All marchers are asked to wear their uniforms, or a t-shirt displaying their branch of the service. This year, in 2013, more than three hundred members of the armed services will be marching.

Stephen Whitburn is the general manager of San Diego LGBT Pride. He notes that America’s Finest City has the combination of a strong, large military population, and a robust LGBT community. He knows it is very meaningful to the military who have elected to be part of the parade that their military is acknowledged and honored both within and without the LGBT community.

The specifics of the Navy’s Region Southwest members to wear these uniforms:

• Officer/CPO: The prescribed uniform is Summer White. Alternate is Service Khaki

• E-1 through E-6: The prescribed uniform is Service Dress White. Alternate is Service Uniform.

Uniforms may not have any embellishments nor should any non-official additions be made. All those in uniform may carry only U.S. flags. Furthermore, the official announcement authorizes only those service members of the Navy stationed in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah to wear uniforms while in the parade. No announcement has been made concerning those stationed elsewhere. If not able to, or choosing not to wear uniforms, t-shirts appropriate to the service branch should be worn.

The annual San Diego LGBT Pride Parade is fourth largest among similar parades in the U.S.  This year’s event is on Saturday, July 13, 2013, and will run from  11 am to 2 pm. The parade will start on  University Avenue and Normal Street, and move west on University Avenue to 6th Avenue. From there it goes south on 6th Avenue, finishing at Balboa Drive and Upas Street.

This year’s Grand Marshals are George and Brad Takei, and La Toya Jackson.