SAN DIEGO -- A small group of troops are working with San Diego Pride to organize a contingent to honor LGBT active duty and veteran servicemembers at this year's San Diego LGBT Pride Parade.

While LGBT veterans groups have participated in San Diego's Pride Parade for a number of years, organizers believe that this is the first time an active push has been made to also encourage those currently serving in the U.S. armed forces to walk.

Friends,

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 322-96 the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with objectionable language that we have discussed with you in recent weeks.

Last year, it was an honor to sponsor and fight for legislation to end the discriminatory “don’t ask, don’t tell” law that, for nearly two decades, barred otherwise qualified openly gay Americans from serving the country they love in the military. As an Army officer, I saw how wrong it was that patriots serving our nation were forced to disobey the core military values of honesty and integrity in order to defend the very freedoms that make our country great.

WASHINGTON -- Wednesday in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), the Military Personnel Subcommittee met to consider the new 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.

As we advised last week, this was a moment during which a harmful amendment to derail or even "repeal the repeal" of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) could arise. This week, SLDN sent a letter from a group of veterans discharged under DADT to HASC members to oppose such an action.