WASHINGTON — Sgt. Pepe Johnson was surprised by the reaction he received when his fellow soldiers learned that he is gay.

“They’ve pretty much shrugged it off,” said Johnson, who rejoined the Army last fall after nearly a decade away. “Most of them were wondering why I had a nine-year gap in service. When I told them it was because of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ they shrugged it off.

“That was a pleasant surprise.”

WASHINGTON – The nation’s leading LGBT groups today praised the Pentagon’s decision to allow military chaplains to perform wedding ceremonies where they are legal and if such ceremonies are consistent with their religious traditions.

The Department of Defense today clarified this policy just days after the implementation of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Supporters are calling this an important step to preserving the religious freedom of military chaplains and removing discriminatory barriers for America’s troops.