First Pride event hosted by Pentagon honors diversity and open service

This Tuesday at 1pm, the Defense Department will host a Pride event to honor openly out servicemen and women. This is the first ever event of its kind to be hosted at the Pentagon, coming only after the repeal of the seventeen-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

According to TheAdvocate.com, the itinerary of today’s Pride celebrations includes a keynote address by Defense Department General Counsel Jeh Johnson and a panel discussion on “The Value of Open Service and Diversity.” Johnson was one of the key advocates for the legislative repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and continues to oversee important legal aspects involved with lifting the ban, such as same-sex weddings on military bases and equal benefits for same-sex military families.

Says executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Aubrey Sarvis of the new policy: “While there is more to be done before LGBT service members can serve with full equality, today we are a better and stronger military because of this change.”

The Pride event at the Pentagon will be streamed live on The Pentagon Channel this afternoon.