Troops can wear uniforms at San Diego gay pride parade

The Pentagon has given service members the green light to wear their military uniforms at a gay-pride parade in San Diego, the first time that uniformed soldiers will be allowed to march in such a parade.

The military bars active-duty members from marching in uniform in most parades, but the Defense Department made an exception for this year’s San Diego event.

“Based on our knowledge of the event and existing policies, we hereby are granting approval for service members in uniform to participate in this year’s parade,” Rene Bardorf, deputy assistant secretary for community and public outreach, wrote in a memorandum.

Bardorf wrote that the exception was applicable only to the 2012 San Diego gay-pride event.

The move is the latest by the Pentagon that celebrates its gay service members since the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was repealed last year. The Defense Department held its first gay-pride event at the Pentagon last month, which included a speech from Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson.

Last year, military members participated in the parade by wearing T-shirts from their branches, but this year several members had requested to participate in uniform, according to local reports.

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