Miami Beach Pride Announces Juan Sanchez as 2019 Advocate Grand Marshal

Miami Beach Pride is proud to announce Detective Juan F. Sanchez as the 2019 Advocate Grand Marshal. This honor recognizes local advocacy work for the LGBTQ community in Miami Beach, and Detective Sanchez's 31-year history of law enforcement and tireless support of the community made him an ideal choice for this role.

Detective Juan F. Sanchez served as a member of the Miami Beach Police Department since November 1987. In 2010, Sanchez, an openly gay police officer, was appointed by then Chief of Police Noriega to serve as the Department’s Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Liaison, a position he held until his retirement last month. In his position, Sanchez served as a key advisor to the current Chief of Police, Dan Oates, and his staff on LGBTQ needs.

Sanchez also worked with the Department of Justice to help develop a transgender training program which was rolled out to police departments across the United States to bridge the gap between the police and the transgender communities.

"I've been involved with Miami Beach Pride from year one, and it's been incredible to see what it's grown into" said Sanchez. "The first year I was involved, I started by providing security for the event and never once did I think I would be a marshal for the parade. It's very humbling and a huge honor."

"Having a leader and advocate like Detective Juan Sanchez be a voice for our community is an honor, and it's an important part of creating dialogue with the local institutions that keep our community and neighborhoods safe," said Scott Bader, Vice Chairman of Miami Beach Pride. "His dedication and support has undoubtedly made Miami Beach a better place to live, and I couldn't be more excited to have him be our Advocate Grand Marshal."

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