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ROYAL NAVY PARADES FOR EUROPRIDE, LONDON 1 JUL 06 Extracts from online press reports covering the Royal Navy presence at EuroPride. Links to the complete original articles are included throughout.
Compiled from Reuters, AP: "Wearing crisp navy blue jackets with gold striped cuffs, shining medals and ivory shirts, 22 Royal Navy personnel marched openly in uniform for the first time in London. "To be quite honest, it's a dream come true," said Petty Officer Karen Surtees, a navy medic. "We can express who we are, what we are and wear our uniforms in pride today."
Guardian: Hello sailor: Royal Navy finally takes part in gay pride - Decades of discrimination swept aside as uniformed personnel join march Today is the first time genuine members of the Royal Navy will march openly in full uniform, at this year's Europride parade, hosted by the City of London. Just like a military parade, there will be a marching order. First come the Mayor of London, dignitaries including Sir Ian McKellen and the organisers. Next come the disabled marchers, and then the sailors, real ones - represented by a group of about 30 gay, lesbian and bisexual navy personnel wearing their "number one" uniform of formal blues, with medals pinned to breasts. Leading the group will be Chief Petty Officer Mark Probee, who joined the navy 20 years ago. Like many young men, he was attracted to military service as an opportunity to learn a trade and travel with it. He had been working at a desk job and wanted something more "thrilling". But unlike other young recruits, he joined knowing his sexuality was a sackable offence. "I knew it was something I would have to hide," he said. "For a lot of years I lost out on that, not being able to love someone openly and freely. It might have made me emotionally a stronger person because all that time I was having to privately deal with something other people can do without thinking." Probee says he has never "flaunted" his sexuality, but he was lucky it was not exposed before the ban on homosexuals in the armed forces was lifted in 2000. He had never attended a pride event before, let alone marched in one. "I always thought, 'Why do I want to march down the street being proud of my sexuality when straight people don't?' But it's a bit of a different reason this time.
UKGayNews. We Don’t Have to Be Scared Anymore Say Gay Sailors at EuroPride Petty Officer Karen Surtees admitted today that she had been in a mild form of panic over the past day. Karen is based in Gibraltar, and yesterday fell victim to flight delays. "There was a time when I thought I would not get here in time," she admitted. "But thankfully I made it," she said an hour before the parade moved off from Baker Street. She, along with Leading Medical Assistant Jason Hegarty, were speaking to reporters about the significance of the Royal Navy’s official participation in EuroPride, just six years after the British military removed the ban on gay men and women in the armed services. "It’s a dream come true," said Karen. "I’m so excited – we can express who we are, what we are and wear our uniforms in pride today." "We do not have to be scared any more." Both agreed that their personal experiences after officially "coming out" more than six years ago have not had a "dark side". "I have found total acceptance," said Karen, who added it was great to be able to take her girlfriend to mess parties. With both top brass at the Royal Air For and Army vetoing participation of their personnel in the EuroPride parade in uniform for "political" reasons, the Royal Navy publicists had a field day. Commander Graham Beard, of the Royal Navy’s Equality Office, proudly told of how Britain’s "Senior Service" was one of Stonewall’s 204 "Diversity Champions" employers. He then said that "history was being made" today. "As far as we know, today is the first time that a military service has marched, in full dress uniform, at a gay Pride anywhere in the world," he said. But, Commander. How about the Royal Air Force at Manchester Pride in 2004 and the Army, again at Manchester, in 2005? Like all good naval officers, he was prepared for this salvo! "Ah, on those occasions, their participation was tied into recruiting – and they did not march in full dress uniform," he pointed out. There is nothing like a little inter-Service rivalry. Commander Beard was correct! 365gay.com. Crowds Jam London For Europride Hundreds of thousands of people jammed into mainly gay Oxford Street for Europe's biggest gay parade on Saturday. Mayor Ken Livingstone was joined at the front of the parade by openly gay Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen. For the first time gay members of the Royal Navy marched in their uniforms. Other branches of the military were told they could participate but only in civilian garb. RainbowNetwork.com: 600,000 Celebrate EuroPride The EuroPride Parade marched down Oxford Street and Regent Street, the first time this has ever taken place in London’s history, with 40 floats and around 200 costumed groups, walking bands and thousands of individual paraders including 40 Royal Navy personnel who were allowed to wear their uniforms at the march. Hollywood actor Ian McKellen, Coronation Street's Anthony Cotton and politicians from all parties joined the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone at the front of the parade which also included the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Air Force. Rainbownetwork.com: EuroPride Parade For the first time ever, the Parade (which marked the end of a two week festival of lesbian and gay culture) turned Oxford Street into a carnival cavalcade of campness which attracted an incredible 40,000 people, according to a Scotland Yard spokesperson As well as the huge rainbow flag and floats representing different groups and societies in the gay community, the highlight this year was seeing 40 Royal Navy personnel parading in their uniforms for the very first time on the march. BBC.co.uk news: Colourful parade marks EuroPride Thousands of people have attended a huge parade marking the end of a two-week European festival of gay and lesbian culture. About 40 Royal Navy personnel paraded in their uniforms for the first time at the march. Army and RAF personnel were not given permission to take part in their official uniforms, however. page: news :: 20060701-EuroPride.htm |
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