Organizers of the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade throw a party where everyone is welcome.
Now, for the first time, military recruiters are joining the crowd.
The California National Guard will set up two recruiting booths at this weekend’s event, which organizers predict will draw 1 million people to the city.
The arrival of the uniformed recruiters marks the first time the U.S. military has officially participated in the city’s largest gay-rights celebration, and since the Obama administration repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 2011.
Mario Garcia, 48, a 29-year veteran of the Guard.
“I want people to see that you can be out and you can be a member of the gay community in the military today,” Garcia said.
Garcia didn’t always feel that way: For years he was in the closet, and sometimes feared for his safety. His story is here.