In the Parade

by Shaker protest8sf

On January 20, 2009, President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn into office as the 44th President of the United States. Farewell to Bush, farewell to eight years of evil, hello to Obama, and hello to the hope for a better government! After the inauguration ceremony, there will then be one hell of a parade marching from the Capitol to the White House, celebrating every step of the way!

The presidential inaugural parade dates back to Washington's inauguration in 1789, when he processed from Mount Vernon to New York City. His honor guard consisted of local militias, members of the Continental Army, government officials, and members of Congress. Since then, the parade has become a much larger affair, including marching bands, marching units, cavalry, floats, horses, and at Eisenhower's parade, even elephants.¹

Unfortunately, the parade, like many American institutions, has a history of exclusion. Many groups whose members don't exactly look like the Founders have had to fight for their right to participate in the parade, and InTheParade.com is lobbying to get an openly LGBTQI contingent in the parade for the first time this year

The Lesbian and Gay Band Association, a musical organization of concert and marching bands from the U.S. and around the world, applied to march in both of Clinton's inaugural parades. The LGBA was accepted—but was then placed on the sidewalk, performing while the parade marched by. According to InTheParade.com, there has never been an openly LGBTQI contingent marching in the inaugural parade.

This year, let's make it different. Let's move LGBTQI people off the sidewalk and into the parade. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is currently evaluating applications and they will make their final decisions within the next week. InTheParade.com has set up a site where you can lobby the committee members and your elected officials, asking them to support the inclusion of an openly LGBTQI marching band in the inaugural parade.

The committee receives hundreds of applications, and time is short. Make your voice heard now and show that there is support for including LGBTQI people in the parade, and show President-elect Obama that there is widespread, vocal support for the visible inclusion and rights of LGBTQI people.

From InTheParade:

Marching is an important symbolic act, and the symbolic value of a gay contingent in President-Elect Obama's 2009 Inaugural Parade will say a lot about our new president's sincerity and authentic desire to include everyone in his definition of unity.

...

Lesbian/Gay contingents have applied to march in the 2009 inaugural parade and there is no reason they can't be selected. Selection is not about how good a group looks or sounds – selection is a political matter. We can influence the selection process by making our voices heard. There are LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex) contingents ready to march, but if they are going to represent our community in the parade, they need our help and they need it NOW.

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¹Information about the inaugural parade from the JCCIC site about the Inaugural Parade.