The Department of Justice has filed an emergency motion asking the court to reconsider its order, saying ending the ban now would pre-empt the “orderly process” for rolling back the 17-year-old policy as outlined in the law passed and signed by the president in December. “We are looking forward to a time when LGBT service members can participate in these kinds of actions without any risk.”īut Stokes said going public now could be used against military personnel later if the military starts enforcing the policy again. “We communicated to him that anyone who participates is assuming a certain level of risk,” spokesman Zeke Stokes said. The national Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - representing gay and lesbian active-duty military personnel - said they told Sala they are warning members that it is still a risk to come out as long as “don’t ask, don’t tell” is on the books.
The group will march Saturday in San Diego’s parade, the nation’s fifth largest. Now the former Navy operations specialist, who finished his service last month, is organizing what is believed to be the first military contingent of hundreds of active-duty troops and veterans to lead a gay pride parade.
SAN DIEGO - Sean Sala felt so elated when Congress approved repealing the military’s ban on openly gay troops the 26-year-old sailor went on TV and revealed his sexual orientation publicly in what he calls his “Rosa Parks moment.”
