“We hope the [British] Army will have more involvement next year and a float as well,” said Claire Turner.
She was not talking about the British participation in the invasion of Iraq. She is the director of the gay pride festival in Manchester, UK.
About 10 uniformed soldiers paraded and manned a recruitment stall. The ban on homosexuals in the armed forces was lifted in January 2000, but it wasn’t until last year, when some 20 RAF soldiers manned a float featuring a plane cockpit, that the first armed service joined a gay pride festival.
“They’re showing that they welcome gay people and the Army is something gay people can be interested in,” said Turner. This is very different from the situation of their gay American colleagues. In the U.S., gay soldiers – some of whom have served for many years – have been sent home because, apparently due to their gayness, they might hesitate at crucial moments.
We welcome soldiers at gay parades, and we welcome the armies’ tolerance.
(Read the full article at BBC NEWS)
The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, sees that stability is needed in Asia, and one way that India can help keep things stable is by helping Afghanistan more. Already New Delhi ranks in the top six contributors to Kabul.