SF Pride won't honor Manning after all

Bradley Manning is awaiting court- martial in a Kansas prison. Bradley Manning is awaiting court- martial in a Kansas prison. Photo: Cliff Owen, Associated Press Photo: Cliff Owen, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close SF Pride won't honor Manning after all 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with leaking classified military documents to the website WikiLeaks, will not be a grand marshal in San Francisco's Pride parade after all.

It was reported Thursday that Manning had been chosen by the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee as one of several grand marshals for the June 29-30 event, something San Francisco Pride Board President Lisa Williams said in a statement Friday was a "mistake and never should have happened."

"Even the hint of support for actions which placed in harm's way the lives of our men and women in uniform - and countless others, military and civilian alike - will not be tolerated by the leadership of San Francisco Pride," Williams said. "It is, and would be, an insult to everyone, gay and straight, who has ever served in the military of this country."

Williams said a rogue SF Pride staff member contacted Manning based on conversations within the organization. She said that person has been disciplined.

Manning was the choice of a group of former parade grand marshals known as SF Pride's electoral college. But Williams said fewer than 15 people actually supported his selection, and the electoral college's vote was repudiated by the SF Pride board of directors.

"Specifically, what these events have revealed is a system whereby a less than handful of people may decide who represents the LGBT community's highest aspirations as grand marshals for SF Pride," she said in the statement. "This is a systemic failure that now has become apparent and will be rectified."

Thursday's report of the grand marshal selection, published in the Bay Area Reporter, said supporters would be attending the parade on Manning's behalf because he is awaiting court-martial.

More than 100 people had commented on SF Pride's Facebook page Friday evening, most opposing the decision to exclude Manning.

"Bradley Manning had the courage to expose corruption in our world governments," wrote Facebook user Mark Taylor. "He is a hero and deserves to be a grand marshal."

But Zoe Dunning, a retired Navy commander and San Francisco activist, said she agreed that Manning's nomination was an error.

"He has done nothing for the LGBT community, which is the criteria for a grand marshal," wrote Dunning, who is a lesbian. "He just happens to be gay, which is not sufficient."