On June 26, Seattle's LGBT community and its allies will take to 4th Avenue in a display of expression, allegiance and excessive glitter. The parade, which is one of the Northwest's most attended events, is put on by Seattle Out & Proud (SO&P), an all-volunteer non-profit that organizes many of the area's inclusive and LGBT events.
Each year, they select and invite a handful of "Marshals" to attend the parade. The parade marshals are individuals or organizations who "consistently demonstrate commitment to the goals of human rights, equality, tolerance, engagement, empowerment and a better understanding within the LGBT community of itself and in relation to the non-LGBT community."
This year's picks include George Bakan, Editor-in-Chief of the Seattle Gay News, author and Vietnam vet Armistead Maupin, Force 10 Hoops LLC, who own the Seattle Storm and are super-empowered women and Daniel Hernandez, the aide who rushed to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' side after she was shot in January.
OUTview Online will be there with Exclusive Coverage as Media Sponsor!
I respect Armisteead Maupin and adore danny Hernandez. However, it makes no sense to import celebrities from other cities to be Seattle's Grand Marshalls. We have PLENTY of worthy Seattle people, RIGHT HERE IN THE EMERALD CITY. It is a slap in the face to local citizens to import these people to be our Grand Marshalls. This mindset that Seattle is too good to have Seattle poeople as our parade Grand Marshalls, speakers at our HRC Dinner and other Seattle events, is a big part of why these things have lost flavor for me.
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