However, since Fort Gordon has never participated in the event before, we reviewed video of previous Pride parades,” Mathews told GA Voice. “There were no legal objections to having the color guard participate in the event. Mathews, Fort Gordon’s public affairs officer, said the decision for a color guard to participate in a community event is made at the local level and Fort Gordon’s garrison commander decided Augusta Pride was not an appropriate atmosphere for its soldiers to march. With the email request, he included a proclamation from Augusta’s mayor declaring June 28 as “Augusta Pride Day” as well as a Department of Defense proclamation declaring June as DOD Pride Month. Jonathan Roman, an Augusta Pride board member and Georgia’s chapter leader of OutServe-SLDN, an LGBT military organization, made a formal request to Fort Gordon officials in May for a color guard carrying the American flag as well as the flag of each branch of the military to lead the city’s Pride parade. This year marks the fifth annual Augusta Pride fest. A post-Don’t Ask Don’t Tell military still is not on board in Georgia with having a color guard march at the front of a Georgia Gay Pride parade later this month because of its “party atmosphere.”Īugusta Pride is set for June 27-29 with the parade taking place June 28 through the city on Broad Street and the board was hoping to have active military members present at this year’s event.
