SF Pride to Host Community Forum on Military Recruiters at the 2014 SF Pride Celebration
San Francisco – On Tuesday, November 19, 2013 the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee will host a community forum regarding military recruiter participation in the annual Pride Celebration. The forum will take place at the Metropolitan Community Church, at 150 Eureka Street in San Francisco. Doors will open at 6:30pm and the forum will begin at 7pm.
The SF Pride Committee wants to hear from community members, stakeholders, former and present military members, activists and others on how SF Pride should proceed regarding providing vendor space to branches of the Armed Services to do active recruitment at the June 28 and 29, 2014, SF Pride Celebration.
The repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell opened up the ability of the Armed Services to come into the LGBTQ community to do active recruitment. However, there are still many issues that need to be addressed before SF Pride feels it can make a decision on how to proceed. The fact that transgender people are still discriminated against in the Armed Services is a significant and deeply troubling problem.
SF Pride has invited veterans groups, armed service recuiters and transgender advocacy organizations, among others, to come and speak to the issues involved, and welcomes all members of the LGBTQ community to offer opinions and ideas about this important topic