Military members who wish to wear their uniforms in this weekend’s San Diego PRIDE Parade have been granted permission by the Department of Defense. The approval follows a wave of media attention that focused on military members intending to march in traditional uniform garb at the San Diego PRIDE Parade — a statement that would have been sharply rebuked in the old days of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) – the military‘s now-defunct anti-gay policy that prohibited homosexuals from disclosing their sexual orientation.
“It is our understanding that event organizers plan to have a portion of the parade that is dedicated to military members … we further understand organizers are encouraging service members to seek their commanders approval to march in uniform and to display their pride,” said Rene Bardorf, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Community and Public Outreach. “Based on our current knowledge of the event and current policies, we hereby are granting approval for service members in uniform to participate in this year’s parade, provided service members 1) participate in their personal capacity, and 2) ensure the adherence to Military Service standards of appearance and wear of the uniform.”
The permission is granted for the 2012 San Diego PRIDE Parade only.
“Today is a great day of Pride! San Diego Pride is honored to have the privilege of celebrating our country and our servicemembers with dignity and respect,” said San Diego LGBT Pride Executive Director Dwayne Crenshaw. “The fight for equality is not over and it is not easy, but this is a giant leap in the right direction.”
