SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- For the first time in American history, a gay and lesbian band will be marching in a presidential inauguration.



Barack Obama's Presidential Inaugural Committee has chosen the Lesbian and Gay Band Association, with members from across the country, to march in the inaugural parade in Washington on Jan. 20.

Twenty-six Bay Area musicians from the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Freedom Band and Cheer San Francisco will participate as members of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association, a national group tapped to march in the inaugural event.

"It means the Obama transition team views lesbian and gay men as part of America," said Rice Majors, artistic director for the Lesbian and Gay Band Association. "We're a visible part of America."

The Washington Blade, a gay newspaper that was the first to report the news, said that Bill Clinton allowed gay groups to perform their music on the sidewalk during his inauguration but not to march in the parade.

In related news, one other group of musicians from the Bay Area will also be playing in the parade: a middle school marching band.

Members of the Redwood City Middle School Marching Band were unable to discern their historical significance or how their band of 110 students managed to earn an invitation to the nation's capital.

"I'm not quite sure why they chose us, but it's still pretty interesting that they did," said Sanjeev Suresh, band percussionist.

Even Bennet Lopez, the district's music director, said she initially thought the invitation might have been a prank. Now she's convinced the Obama team realized the community represents one America. As the big day approaches, her focus is making sure her students are ready for miles of marching and an East Coast winter.

"The weather in D.C. can be nasty!," said Redwood flutist Paula Grave.

Members of both bands -- Redwood City Middle School and Lesbian and Gay Band Association -- are currently trying to raise funds to pay for the trip: The students are planning to hold benefit concerts and the adults are launching a Web site Sunday selling T -shirts.

There was a record number of applicants to march in this year's parade -- nearly 1,400 -- with only a few dozen being selected. During the last inaugural, in 2005, about 340 bands applied to march and 47 were selected.
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