Minneapolis's Uptown VFW celebrates Pride: "Your community sees you different when you represent everybody"
MINNEAPOLIS – Pride weekend is all about being inclusive, and that includes veterans.
The Minneapolis Uptown VFW had a booth at the Twin Cities Pride Festival for the fourth year in a row.
It's still not common to have a post participate in a Pride event, but veterans in Post 246 say it's crucial to offer support.
"There are communities that are just coming to terms with welcoming people and realizing that there are LGBT veterans that served in every war," said Post 246 member Michael Harris.
The Uptown VFW welcomes all veterans, and celebrates the LGBTQ plus community. But having a place at Pride wasn't always possible.
"I was around before 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' ended, so I couldn't join the military," Harris said.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was a law that prohibited openly gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans from serving in the armed forces for 17 years. The law was repealed in 2011, but its impact had lasting effects.
Having the VFW here at Pride sends a message that all are welcome.
"It is huge. You know, that really cracks me up inside, you know, makes me tear up a little bit," Harris said.
The Uptown VFW was the first post in the country to take part in Pride Weekend in 2018. There was also a Pop-Up Pride celebration outside the VFW in Uptown. Member Amanda Hooper said this year the VFW in New Orleans was the first to march in a Pride Parade.
"Your community sees you different when you represent everybody," Hooper said.
Hooper said it's not just about being welcoming, but also offering real support.
"We know the LGBTQ community specifically has a higher suicide rate, and then when you tack on veteran suicide rate on top of that … when you have a VFW that is opening their doors to all of our veterans and everybody that serves, then you are opening the doors to saving lives."