Obama, Biden wave to Lesbian & Gay band

Members of the Lesbian & Gay Band Association marched in the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Parade. (Washington Blade file photo by Henry Linser)

President Obama and Vice President Biden stood and waved to the 240 member Lesbian and Gay Band about 5:45 p.m. Monday as it marched past the White House in the Inaugural Parade.

Network news commentators from CNN and Fox News noted in their coverage of the parade that the band, organized by the international Lesbian and Gay Band Association, was a befitting capstone to Obama’s historic embrace of LGBT rights in his inaugural address five hours earlier.

Although the sun went down about 45 minutes before the gay band reached the White House, street lights on Pennsylvania Avenue were sufficient to illuminate the band and the bright uniforms of the marching musicians along with the rainbow flag carried by its members.

The band was also scheduled to display at least 20 additional flags representing the states where each individual Lesbian and Gay Bands were from.

As reported by the Blade last week, this was the second time the band had marched as a contingent in the inaugural parade.