Atlanta activist Danny Ingram, who was discharged from the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and serves as president of American Veterans for Equal Rights, is set to testify May 31 before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Washington, D.C.
The Atlanta Pride Committee will have a diverse group of grand marshals leading this year’s Pride parade. From a trans woman who won a groundbreaking legal battle to a camp-drag fundraising troupe that’s raised $2 million for HIV/AIDS causes in Atlanta, this year’s group of honorees has contributed to the LGBT rights movement in countless ways.
“We are so proud of our 2012 grand marshals. It is going to be really exciting having such a diverse group of individuals representing the LGBT community at the Atlanta Pride Festival this year,” said Atlanta Pride Board Chair Glen Paul Freedman when the grand marshals were named.
“If you know any of these individuals or members of one of the groups, please congratulate them on this honor... and if you don’t know them, we hope you will show your appreciation of their support for the LGBT community by giving them a wave as they are on the parade route,” he said. “It is really going to be great day for everyone.”
Danny Ingram, president of American Veterans for Equal Rights, put out a call today for volunteers to march with the gay military group in the upcoming Atlanta Pride parade.
The group also needs four Jeep Wranglers, with a removable top, to carry special guests. One Jeep will carry veterans from World War II, another will carry veterans from the Vietnam War, which Ingram notes commemorates the 50th anniversary this year. Another Jeep is planned for Colonel Arlene Ackerman, the organization's highest ranking member.
Anyone who can help are encouraged to contact Danny Ingram at president@aver.us.
The Atlanta Pride Committee announced today its grand marshals for its annual parade, those who will ride at the front and give their best royalty waves on Sunday, Oct. 14.
From a trans woman who won a precedent setting case after she was fired from her job at the Georgia General Assembly to a longtime stripper at the Clermont Lounge, the grand marshals are a diverse group.
"We are so proud of our 2012 Grand Marshals. It is going to be really exciting having such a diverse group of individuals representing the LGBT community at the Atlanta Pride Festival this year,” said Atlanta Pride Board Chair Glen Paul Freedman in a prepared statement.
“If you know any of these individuals or members of one of the groups, please congratulate them on this honor…and if you don’t know them, we hope you will show your appreciation of their support for the LGBT community by giving them a wave as they are on the parade route. It is really going to be great day for everyone,” he said.
Sept. 20 will mark a major turning point in the fight for LGBT equality, as the military’s anti-gay “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, a law that bans gay and lesbian soldiers from serving openly, will finally be repealed. At least two local events are planned to commemorate the milestone.
Passed by Congress in 1993 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was the basis for some 14,000 military discharges during its 18 year-history.
The repeal effort was one of the final acts of the Democratically controlled 111th Congress and fulfilled a 2008 campaign pledge from President Barack Obama.
“By ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay,” Obama said after Congress passed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 in late December.