Park Service employees recall getting permission to march in uniform at Pride and describe the moment as powerful

Jim McDonnell, a retired park ranger who said he worked for the Park Service for 32 years, told attendees that he and colleagues formed GALA (Gay and Lesbian Association in the Park Service) and decided they wanted to march in a Pride parade. "We established a a group, gala," McDonnell said, and that led the group to prepare shirts, a banner and an application to march.

Naomi Torres, who said she has worked for the National Park Service since 1989, described how she and McDonnell went to ask then-deputy superintendent Lynn McKenzie for permission to march in uniform. "He said, sure," Torres recalled, adding that both she and McDonnell were surprised and elated by the immediate approval.

The speakers described joining other public-safety personnel in the parade. "The police department, the fire department came and grabbed us," Torres said, and participants were directed to march up front with them. McDonnell said marching in uniform "made us feel good" and that "the crowd went crazy," calling the experience "so much fun."

Bob Holloway, who said he worked about 30 years with the Park Service, and other participants framed the event as more than a parade: they said it was a moment of recognition and visibility for LGBTQ employees. Torres emphasized the importance of staff as park resources, saying visitors benefit from "the stories that they have to tell" and the diversity of perspectives employees bring to park interpretation.

No formal policy change or vote is recorded in the transcript; speakers described a specific instance of permission being granted by an on-duty supervisor. The account in the transcript ends with speakers reflecting on the emotional and representational significance of marching in uniform for Park Service employees.