On Parade

Tomorrow is the Rose Bowl Parade and there is a “first” that will happen in the parade…

Pasadena’s Annual Rose Parade Blooms With Its First LGBTQ Queen
Louise Deser Siskel is also the event's first Jewish queen and first with glasses.
NewNowNext
By Brandon Voss
December 29, 2018

We stan a queer queen!

There she is: Louise Deser Siskel will lead the Rose Court on New Year’s Day as Queen of the 130th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, Pasadena Star-News reports.

Siskel is a senior at Pasadena’s Sequoyah High School, where she is a member of the debate team and judicial committee.

The 18-year-old San Marino resident says she entered the 2019 Rose Court search “on sort of a whim” but came to realize “the value of the Tournament of Roses, and the role it plays in our community,” adding that the organization gives the young women on its court “a real voice; for that I feel very thankful.”

Siskel feels especially honored to be the Rose Parade’s first Jewish queen, the first queen with glasses, and first queen who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community.

Bravo! Bravo!

It shows how far we have progressed where being LGBT doesn’t matter anymore in certain areas of the country.

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Gay Navy sailor recreates iconic New York WWII kiss photo with his husband but faces brutal homophobic backlash for the modern twist

• Bryan Woodington, 33, and husband Kenneth, 30, recreated the iconic WWII kiss
• Bryan, a Navy sailor, was returning home to Florida after seven months in the Persian Gulf and Europe when the photo was taken
• The couple won a lottery to perform the ceremonial first kiss, a naval tradition
• Some have been critical of the couple, while others are embracing the kiss
• 'There are people who see the beauty in it,' Kenneth said. 'As for those who don't, have a nice day.'

The Daily Mail
By Daily Mail Reporter
29 December 2018

A gay Navy sailor has recreated the iconic Second World War kissing photo with his teacher husband - but the heartwarming moment has been marred by an angry homophobic backlash.

Bryan Woodington, 33, returned home to Florida after seven months in the Persian Gulf and Europe on December 21, to greet husband of one year Kenneth Woodington, 30.

The couple won a lottery to perform the ceremonial first kiss, a naval tradition that was captured on Jacksonville station News 4 Jax.

But the station reports that not all their viewers were pleased with the same-sex couple's intimate moment, and News 4 Jax was 'bombarded' by hate messages.

'When I saw Bryan, I lost all control and ran over to him,' Kenneth, a special education teacher, told Yahoo Lifestyle.

According to News 4 Jax, Bryan was one of 300 sailors returning to their families right before Christmas.

Okay first the good news… it is great that the navy is so open that lesbians and gays are accepted in the military services.

More good news… they were not the first same-sex couple to win the lottery,

In 2011, two female sailors were the first same-sex couple to win the lottery.

Now the bad news… if it was a straight couple everyone would probably thought it was great that they recreated the iconic Second World War kissing photo.

More bad news… trans service members are still shunned.