For the first time, American military personnel come forward.
At the San Diego Gay Pride Parade in California, more than 200 active and reserve military personnel showed their faces; in the army, the policy of "don't ask, don't tell" prevails; Obama said nothing.
More than 200 active-duty soldiers and war veterans waved American flags along with rainbow-colored banners at the San Diego gay pride parade held today. This is believed to be the first time an identifiable group of active-duty military personnel has participated in a gay pride march in the United States.
Thousands of people watching the parade applauded as the soldiers passed by. The soldiers and veterans wore t-shirts identifying where they served or had served, while one woman displayed a sign that read "I served proudly and silently for nine years."
The march comes a day after a U.S. federal court ordered the military to temporarily maintain its "don't ask, don't tell" policy, but prohibited the government from investigating or punishing openly gay service members.