San Francisco band to make history at inaugural

San Francisco members of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association and a Saratoga middle school marching band are the only two groups in California tapped to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in what is set to be an historic inauguration parade.

Twenty-six members of the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Freedom Band and Cheer San Franciscowere selected from the Lesbian and Gay Band Association’s thousands of members nationwide to participate in the Jan. 20 event.

“I think it is great that the event is continuing the inclusion of the GLBT community in the important activities of our nation,” said Paul Boneberg, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco. “I say congratulations to Obama for enhancing the visibility of our community by having them march.”

Doug Litwin, a clarinet player in the San Francisco band, said this is the first time an openly gay band has marched, although his band played on the sidelines during both Clinton inauguration parades.

“It was an amazing experience to be openly gay and participate, but this time we get to actually march in the parade,” Litwin said. “It is a bigger deal symbolically to be moving with the contingent.”

More than 1,400 marching bands applied to be in the parade that will follow Barack Obama’s swearing in at the Capitol on Jan. 20. To date, 70 have been selected.

 See San Francisco band to make history at inaugural
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA