Columbus Dispatch: Patriotic activist. 'Don't ask, don't tell' opponent to lead gay-pride parade

clipped from www.dispatch.com " /> By Amy Saunders The Columbus Dispatch As the parade passed, he stood near some bushes -- a hiding spot in case someone he knew saw him celebrating with thousands of gay people. Rupert Starr had stood up to Nazis during World War II, spending four months as a prisoner of war in Poland, but his participation in a Columbus Pride Festival in the 1990s required more confidence than he could muster. This year, he is the center of attention: the grand marshal of the 1 p.m. parade and keynote speaker at a Sunday brunch for what's considered the largest gay-pride celebration in the Midwest. Not until recently has Starr (known to friends as "Twink") reached such a public comfort level with his decades-old homosexuality. He's 86. Organizers of the festival -- the theme is "Freedom" -- wanted to honor Starr for his activism against the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Until recently, the Upper Arlington resident never discussed his war experience, either.