Sheffield soldier shows her pride in LGBT march

The Army Contingent marching at Pride

Armed forces and civilian defence personnel will march on Saturday to mark this yearÂ¬"s Pride in London. Over 200 personnel will take part in the march, which comes just two weeks after the tragic shootings in Orlando.

In a show of support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and LGBT Armed Forces staff, the Red Arrows will fly over Pride in London for the first time. Minister of State for the Armed Forces will host an event on Saturday morning for personnel taking part in the march.
This weekendÂ¬"s events round off a number of defence activities supporting this yearÂ¬"s Pride. The rainbow flag has flown over the Ministry of Defence Main Building on Whitehall all week. On Thursday evening, Army personnel lit up the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Today, a joint military and civilian defence LGBT conference will take place in London. Attended by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces and other senior leaders from across the military and t — The Army Contingent marching at Pride Armed forces and civilian defence personnel will march on Saturday to mark this yearÂ¬"s Pride in London. Over 200 personnel will take part in the march, which comes just two weeks after the tragic shootings in Orlando. In a show of support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and LGBT Armed Forces staff, the Red Arrows will fly over Pride in London for the first time. Minister of State for the Armed Forces will host an event on Saturday morning for personnel taking part in the march. This weekendÂ¬"s events round off a number of defence activities supporting this yearÂ¬"s Pride. The rainbow flag has flown over the Ministry of Defence Main Building on Whitehall all week. On Thursday evening, Army personnel lit up the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Today, a joint military and civilian defence LGBT conference will take place in London. Attended by the Minister of State for the Armed Forces and other senior leaders from across the military and t

Private Jennie Parkinson, aged 29, joined military personnel from all three armed services to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the army’s participation in London Pride on Saturday.

Private Parkinson, who serves with the Royal Army Vetinary Corps in Germany said that Pride is ‘about having the chance to celebrate who you are’.

She said: “I’m proud to be wearing the uniform and representing both the British Army and the gay community.

“Pride London is the perfect opportunity to bring these both together.”

At Pride, the LGBT - lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender - community marches through London in a parade of solidarity.

Gay recruits have only been able to serve openly in the Armed Forces since 2000.

Soldiers in uniform marched at the head of the London Pride March with its slogan ‘Live your life as you’. The army also lit up its Sandhurst military academy with the colours of the rainbow. The RAF Red Arrows filled the sky with colour in a flypast down Whitehall at the end of the parade through the country’s capital.

Lieutenant General Sir James Everard, the army’s diversity and inclusivity champion, said:“The Ministry of Defence has come a long way since 2000 when LGBT personnel were afforded equality in the Armed Forces. They are now openly encouraged and supported in a community whose watchword is respect.

“The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is perhaps our greatest icon of strong leadership. This week we have floodlit Old College in the rainbow colours to show how closely we see the links between the Army, the LGBT community and the nation we serve.

“The Army is proud to support its LGBT community and particularly proud of our links with Stonewall with which we have worked so hard to embrace and promote inclusivity and to fight discrimination.”