Manchester, UK: Gay Pride fills the city streets / Army marches in Gay Pride parade

Saturday, 27th August 2005
Gay Pride fills the city streets - Manchester Evening News

ARMY: For the first time the force's uniforms were on the Parade.

SOLDIERS, nuns, children and chavs went on parade yesterday for a riotous opening to a long weekend of Gay Pride in the city.

Thousands lined the streets for the annual parade, as the usual disco dollies and Muscle Mary's strutted their stuff on the mile-long extravaganze through the city streets, But some of the faces were new.

Soldiers in uniform walked alongside hundreds of other marchers from the lesbian, gay and transgender community, a different kind of uniform for the day.

The Army hopes to attract more recruits from the gay and lesbian community - and show it can be gay friendly.

The 10 recruits marched in the parade on the two-mile route through the city centre, watched by thousands of supporters lining the streets ten-deep.

Wearing green fatigues the volunteers, both male and female, were shoulder to shoulder with a colourful mix of transsexuals, transvestites, lesbians and gays many wearing outrageous costumes and very little else.

PINK SHRINK: Lycra shorts and army uniforms.

Muscle Men

Soldiers handed out sweets to the crowd as the Army car travelled along the route, proceeded by a float of muscle men in pink Lycra shorts blowing whistles while gyrating to pumping house music.

Warrant Officer Lutha Magloire, 39, of the Logistics Corps, was at the parade as part of the Army's Diversity Action and Recruitment Team.

Surrounded by a troupe of gay Cupids wearing silver paint and sporting feathered wings and a bow, Warrant Officer Magloire said the Army was determined to show it can be diverse.

"We don't really care what sexual orientation you are if you want to come and join us in the Army," he said.

"I'm not prepared to say if I am gay or not. The Army does not care and does not ask that question to recruits.

"Whether straight or not, it does not really matter."

Warrant Officer Magloire said the army asked for 10 recruits from the North West area to go on the march - and got more than 30 volunteers.

"There has been unbelievable support and it caused an awful lot of conversation.

"The Army reflects society and we must recruit from all sections, so if there is prejudice in society it will be in the Army also.

COCKPIT: The RAF's first foray.

Represents

"But the Army can only get better the more it represents all the community."

The service has taken part in cultural festivals before, the officer said, but this was a first for the Army taking part in a gay event.

They have also set up a stall in Manchester's famous Gay Village, and are expected to take part in more gay parades in future.

The RAF took part in today's parade for the second year running - with a float featuring the cockpit of a plane.

Only the Navy were not represented - though there were a number of marchers dressed in sailors uniforms.

It was not intended to be a snub from the senior service, officials have said - and event organisers say sailors would be warmly welcomed to join the other forces next year.

Servicemen and women were also joined by more marchers in other uniforms, including the police and fire service.

Gay showbiz star Graham Norton, also at the event, backed the Army's efforts.

PRIDE: A long weekend of celebrations.

Pink tank

He said: "I haven't seen any of the soldiers but good for them. Somebody has got a pink tank on the parade - maybe it should be the Army's."

Festival Director Claire Turner said: "I think its great the Army is coming. They're showing that they welcome gay people and the Army is something gay people can be interested in."

"We hope the Army will have more involvement next year and a float as well," she added.

Up until January 2003, the forces were legally allowed to dismiss gay and lesbian officers.

However, a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights said the ban breached people's right to a private life.

Today's march begins a three day festival also featuring arts, music and sporting events, attracting an estimated 250,000 people to the city.


Army marches in Gay Pride parade
27 August 2005 - Evening Standard

Soldiers went on parade for the Army's first foray into a Gay Pride festival.

Soldiers in uniform walked alongside hundreds of other marchers from the lesbian, gay and transgender community for Manchester's annual Gay Pride march.

The Army hopes to attract more recruits from the gay and lesbian community - and show it can be gay friendly.

The 10 recruits marched in the parade on the two-mile route through the city centre, watched by thousands of supporters lining the streets ten-deep.

Warrant Officer Lutha Magloire, 39, of the Logistics Corps, was at the parade as part of the Army's Diversity Action and Recruitment Team.

Surrounded by a troupe of gay Cupids wearing silver paint and sporting feathered wings and a bow, Warrant Officer Magloire said the Army was determined to show it can be diverse.

"We don't really care what sexual orientation you are if you want to come and join us in the Army," he said.

"I'm not prepared to say if I am gay or not. The Army does not care and does not ask that question to recruits. Whether straight or not, it does not really matter."

The RAF took part in the parade for the second year running - with a float featuring the cockpit of a plane.

Servicemen and women were also joined by more marchers in other uniforms, including the police and fire service. Gay showbiz star Graham Norton, also at the event, backed the Army's efforts.

OAPS urged to come out (The Observer 2005/08/28)

Pensioners were urged to come out of the closet at the biggest gay festival in Europe yesterday, when the charity Age Concern took a stand for the first time. Age Concern estimates that a third of Britain's 3 million lesbians and gays are over 50 and were reluctant to come out when they were younger. The charity is hoping to tap into the 'often hidden population of older lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender individuals'. The Manchester Pride Festival attracts around 400,000 visitors to the city.

British Army march with gay pride
Sat Aug 27, 2:20 PM ET

LONDON (AFP) - The British army joined in a gay pride march for the first time, an army spokesman said.

Troops in uniform joined the annual Gay Pride festival in Manchester, northern England, on the march through the city centre, with thousands of supporters watching from the sidelines.

The army was out to attract homosexual recruits and show it can be gay-friendly.

Soldiers gave out sweets as their float travelled along the two-mile (three-kilometre) course, following a float of muscular men in pink Lycra shorts dancing to music and blowing whistles.

"We don't really care what sexual orientation you are if you want to come and join us in the army," said Logistics Corps warrant officer Lutha Magloire, 39, part of the Army's Diversity Action and Recruitment Team.

"The army reflects society and we must recruit from all sections, so if there is prejudice in society it will be in the army also.

"But the army can only get better the more it represents all the community."

The British army has attended cultural events before, Magloire said, but this was the service's gay festival debut.

The Royal Air Force took part for a second successive year, with a float featuring a plane's cockpit.

Though several marchers were dressed in sailors' uniforms, there was no official Royal Navy representation.

Until January 2003, Britain's armed forces were legally allowed to dismiss homosexual officers.

The march kicked off a three-day festival, attracting an estimated 250,000 people to Britain's third city.



British Soldiers March in Gay Pride Parade
August 28, 2005 - AP

MANCHESTER, England - Ten British soldiers and members of the Royal Air Force joined thousands of gay men and women in a gay pride parade Saturday as they sought new recruits for the army.

Supporters packed 10-deep cheered on the 10 troopers — men and women who volunteered to participate — as they waved to the crowds and smiled along the two-mile route in central Manchester.

The British government lifted a ban on gays serving in the country's armed forces in 2000 after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the restriction was a violation of human rights.

Surrounded by a group of men wearing silver paint, angel wings, blond wigs and not much else, Warrant Officer Lutha Magloire said the army was there to show its support and, if possible, to sign up new recruits.

"We don't really care what sexual orientation you are if you want to come and join us in the Army," the 39-year-old soldier said. "Whether straight or not the Army does not care and does not ask that question to recruits."

The soldiers were welcomed by the more than 45,000 people who turned out for the three-day event.

"I think it's great the Army is coming," said the festival director, Claire Turner. "They're showing that they welcome gay people and the Army is something gay people can be interested in."

The Royal Air Force was there, too, with 20 people manning a float in the parade that featured a replica of airplane cockpit. It was the second consecutive year that the RAF participated.