Local Bradley Manning Supporters Ready

to Honor Manning as Grand Marshal at

San Francisco Pride Parade

See video of SF Pride
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2013

Lisa Geduldig (Publicist) . Ph: (415) 431-7363 . Cell: (415) 205-6515 .
lisag@igc.org

Joey Cain: past SF Pride Board President; nominated Manning. (716) 936-6235

Michael Thurman: Bradley Manning Support Network. (916) 202-6060.

San Francisco, CA. Despite repeated attempts since April by San Francisco
activists and community leaders to get SF Pride to reinstate openly gay
military whistleblower Bradley Manning as a Community Grand Marshal of the
June 30th Parade, Manning, who is currently on trial in Fort Meade, MD, he
will be honored by the LGBT and Veterans' community as a Grand Marshal in
this Sunday's Parade. For the third consecutive year, the Bradley Manning
Support Network will have a contingent in the parade, but this year its
numbers are expected to be in the hundreds, and former military strategist,
82 year old Daniel Ellsberg, who in 1971 leaked secret documents known as
the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, will be riding in the contingent
in support of Manning.

Past SF Pride Board President, Joey Cain, who nominated Manning says,
"There's been an outpouring of support for Bradley Manning, in the LGBTQ
community, not only in San Francisco but nationally and internationally,
since Pride's leadership made its divisive decision to overturn his election
as Grand Marshal. That support honors the intelligence and integrity of the
queer community in San Francisco and shows that, even if the Pride Board
does not get it, the community understands the meaning of this year's Parade
theme: Embrace, Encourage, Empower."

Numerous organizations including Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for
Peace, SEIU Local 1021, the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, and Global
Exchange will show support of Manning in their contingents. And in acts of
solidarity, this Friday's Trans March and Saturday's Dyke March have both
released statements honoring Manning:
http://www.sfbg.com/category/topic/sf-trans-march Manning supporters are
invited to meet at Howard and Beale on Sunday at 10am and march with the
Bradley Manning Support Network Pride contingent. Other local Manning
support events: http://www.tinyurl.com/ManningBayArea

SF Attorney, David Waggoner, filed a discrimination complaint against SF
Pride with the Human Rights Commission on the basis that Pride's leadership
slandered Bradley Manning, disenfranchised the Electoral College that
nominated him, and banned the press from its meetings. Supervisor David
Campos and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano have publicly castigated Pride, while
Bevan Dufty, the mayor's point person on homelessness, declined the honor of
being a Grand Marshal. Waggoner says, "Now Pride has refused mediation from
the Human Rights Commission, yet again conveying a clear and consistent
message: it is accountable to no one."

Millions of people around the world recognize Manning as a hero. His
actions benefited not just Americans who have been kept in the dark about
the crimes committed in their name but also people around the world whose
lives have been forever changed for the better because of his courage. "The
SF Pride Board may never appreciate Manning's heroism but its views are
irrelevant to Manning's legacy: increased democracy, transparency and
accountability," added Waggoner.

Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/327236664071988

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