American Flag Ceremony at Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier
The LGBT community pays respect to the Revolutionary War soldiers who gave their lives to make our Constitution possible, providing equality for all Americans. The flag ceremony includes "Taps."
United States Marine Corps
Retired Staff Sergeant Eric Alva was the first marine wounded in the Iraq War and the first Iraq War veteran to receive a Purple Heart. An LGBT civil rights activist and spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, he crusaded against the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and stood beside President Obama as he signed the repeal into law. Alva has received much recognition for his service and activism, including the Heroes Among Us Award from People magazine and the 2011 Elizabeth Birch Equality Award for outstanding contributions to the LGBT community.
John (Jack) Holmes III is a descendant of Betty Washington Lewis, the sister of President George Washington. In 2015 Holmes married Hugh Eastwood, a lawyer, at their home in St. Louis. Holmes's lineage and marriage is particularly relavant and poignant. George Washington, in presiding over the Constitutional Convention, drafted the supreme law of the United States—the Constitution that promises equality, justice and liberty for all Americans.
