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>> >>PEGGY PICO: THE ANNUAL SAN DIEGO LGBT PRIDE PARADE IS THE FOURTH LARGEST IN THE
COUNTRY, ATTRACTING ABOUT 200,000 SPECTATORS EACH YEAR.
AMONG THE NEWLY AUTHORIZED MILITARY MEMBERS TO WEAR UNIFORMS AT THE EVENT ARE MILITARY
RECRUITERS. HERE WITH FURTHER DETAILS ARE MY GUEST FIRST
LIEUTENANT GARTH LANGLEY, AND FERNANDO LOPEZ. A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS PAST YEAR WITH
ALL THE SUPREME COURT RULINGS. HAVE THEY INFLUENCED THIS YEAR'S THEME.
>> >>: THE THEME WAS VOTED ON BY THE COMMUNITY EARLY ON IN THE YEARS.
IT JUST SO HAPPENED THE THEME WAS VOTED ON WAS THE FREEDOM TO LOVE AND MARRY AND NOW
IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS WE'VE HAD THESE HUGE COURT VICTORIES.
I THINK THE COMMUNITY WAS READY FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY TO RETURN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: ST LOOKED LIKE SOME GOOD PLANNING, CERTAINLY.
TELL US ABOUT IT TIMELINE ON HOW THE MILITARY UNIFORMS BASICALLY PROGRESSED.
HOW LONG AGO WAS IT THAT YOU COULDN'T BE IN MILITARY DRESS AND MARCH IN THE PARADE AND
WHERE IT IS TODAY. >> >>: SURE, SO WE HAD OUR FIRST MILITARY
CONTINGENT IN SAN DIEGO IN 2011. ABOUT 200 PEOPLE PARTICIPATING, THAT WAS JUST
BEFORE THE REPEAL OF DON'T ASK DON'T TELL WENT THROUGH.
SERVICE MEMBERS WERE ASKED TO WEAR TSHIRTS THAT SAID THE BRANCH OF THE MILITARY THEY
WERE PARTICIPATING IN. LAST YEAR, 2012, WE GOT SWEEPING APPROVAL
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR ANYBODY TO WEAR THEIR UNIFORMS IN THE PRIDE PARADE.
SO NOW HERE WE ARE THIS YEAR, WITH SORT OF A PEACE MEAL PUT TOGETHER, THE NAVY REGION
SOUTH WEST HAS SAID YES, THE MARINES FOR THIS REGION SAID YES.
WE'RE HOPEFUL MORE WILL COME IN THE FINAL DAYS, LOOKING REALLY GOOD.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: LET ME TOSS THAT OVER. WHAT IS DIFFERENT? N LAST YEAR THE MARINES
COULD WEAR A UNIFORM BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR? WHY IS IT SPECIAL THIS YEAR?
>> >>: BASED ON THE UP A OFFICER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S DISCRETION TO DEFER TO LOCAL
COMMANDERS TO MAKE THE DECISION THIS YEAR, ONE FORCE TOOK A PROACTIVE STANCE.
IN ORDER TO AUTHORIZE FOR THAT FOR ALL MARINES AND SAILORS WITHIN THE ONE MAN COMMAND.
THE DIFFERENCE THIS YEAR IS OSD HAS DEFERRED TO LOCAL COMMANDERS AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE
SUCH A LARGE PRESENCE OF BOTH MARINES AND SAILORS FROM THE SAN DIEGO REGION BEING AUTHORIZED
TO PARTICIPATE THIS YEAR. >> >>PEGGY PICO: IF SOMEBODY IS NOT FROM THIS
REGION, OR LET'S SAY THAT THEY'RE MILITARY AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO
DO IT, WHAT SHOULD THEY DO. >> >>: FOR ALL OF THE WEST COAST AND SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA BASED MARINES AND SAILORS, AUTHORIZATION TO DO SO HAS BEEN DISSEMINATED.
FOR THOSE OUTSIDE OF, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THOSE RESPECTIVE BRANCHES, I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS
AGAIN UP TO THOSE MILITARY COMMANDS AND THOSE ULTIMATELY THOSE COMMANDERS TO MAKE THOSE
DECISIONS. THOSE SERVICE MEMBERS SHOULD SUBMIT OFFICIAL
REQUESTS. >> >>PEGGY PICO: TO THEIR COMMANDER.
HOW MANY SERVICE MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEAR'S PARADE.
>> >>: FIRST YEAR 200, LAST YEAR ABOUT 300, THE BUZZ HAS BEEN BUILDING, WE'RE HOPING WE'RE
GOING TO BREAKING THOSE RECORDS AGAIN AND HAVE OVER 300 THIS YEAR.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: LET'S GET THE TO THESE NATIONAL RECRUITERS WHO ARE GOING TO BE THERE.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, THESE ARE NOT THE NATIONAL RECRUITERS.
THIS IS WE'VE GOT THE PRIDE PARADE FROM LAST YEAR AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE, BUNCHES OF
DIFFERENT GROUPS SUPPORTING. THIS YEAR, WE'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE COMING, RECRUITERS
COMING, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FESTIVAL. THAT'S A FIRST TIME, FOR SAN DIEGO.
>> >>: YES. THE CALIFORNIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD IS COMING
TO INSIDE THE SAN DIEGO FESTIVAL� WE HAVE A TWODAY FESTIVAL AT MARSE POINT IN BALBOA
PARK, AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY GROUPS PAY TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CALIFORNIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PROACTIVELY
RECRUITING FROM INSIDE THE FESTIVAL. POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERS HAVE BEEN DOING IT
FOR YEARS. >> >>PEGGY PICO: GARTH, DO YOU THINK THAT'S
A GOOD IDEA? IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY'S HAPPY, WE'RE ALL HERE, WE'RE ALL DOING IT.
>> >>: ALL I KNOW IS FOR THE MARINES, WE'RE DEFINITELY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO WEAR OUR UNIFORMS
IN THE PARADE. IT'S A DEFINITE STEPPING STONE TO FUTURE PARTICIPATION
IN THIS GREAT EVENT. REALLY SAN DIEGO PRIDE PARADE IS A PROVING
GROUNDS FOR MILITARY PARTICIPATION, THIS TYPE OF EVENT.
WE'RE A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY INHERENTLY. OBVIOUSLY THE LG� BISEXUAL COMMUNITY IS
ALSO VERY LARGE IN THIS AREA. SO WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE.
>> >>PEGGY PICO: SO MUCH PROGRESS. I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR GIVING US AN
UPDATE AND TALKING TO US ABOUT THE LGBT PRIDE PARADE IN SAN DIEGO, AND LET FOLKS KNOW THAT
THE PARADE IS THIS SATURDAY JULY�13. IT STARTS AT 11:00�A.M. IN THE MORNING,
WILL LAST AT LEAST TWO HOURS, THE ONE AND A HALF MILE ROUTE WINDS THROUGH HILLCREST,
YOU CAN SEE THE MAP ON YOUR SCREEN. FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO KPBS.ORG.