Members of the Canadian Armed Forces marched in
yesterday's Toronto Pride parade for the first
time, Ontario's Owen Sound Sun Timesreports.
According to Toronto Pride executive director
Fatima Amarshi, the Armed Forces initiated their
participation in the event. Amarshi told the Times, "We're all
familiar with stories of lesbians and gays in the
military and the struggle they've had. So for the
military to turn around and recognize its
soldiers, the diversity within its ranks and the
need to have a presence at Pride means a tremendous amount."
In early June, Hamilton's Gay Pride
festival banned the Armed Forces because of alleged
human rights violations, the Timesreports. The gay
community reacted with outrage, insisting that the
military had changed since dropping its
anti-homosexuality policies in 1992. "Different
members of our community have all kinds of
different opinions on the military and they will make
sure they are heard quite loudly," Amarshi told
the Times.
Warrant Officer John McDougal attended
yesterday's parade in Toronto.
"It's a huge thing for me personally,"
he said. "To be
able to be in public and be recognized not just
for being a solder, but for being a soldier who
happens to be gay is amazing." Openly gay,
McDougal has served in the military for 13 years. (The Advocate)
