According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, a color guard of military veterans in their dress uniforms led the city’s homosexual pride parade on Sunday — an act that violates Department of Defense regulations.  Previously, the Gazette said

A color guard of veterans clad in military dress uniform plans to lead the Colorado Springs Pride Parade on Sunday, in what is believed to be the first time past or present service members will guide the colorful parade, organizers said…

The veterans heading the parade…plan to be in full dress uniform, said Luiza Fritz, sergeant of the guard.

Subsequently, the Gazette wrote:

The second day of the 22nd annual Pride Fest brought…military groups and veterans in uniform serving as the color guard in the parade.

“It’s important for people to see that there are military people who are willing to come out that are gay and to show they look just like regular service members,” said Doug Denslow a former staff sergeant in the Marine Corps.

Denslow was one of five veterans who served in the color guard.

Its unclear who fed them the line, but the article included the protective disclaimer:

No active duty personnel marched in uniform in the parade, so no one violated a Pentagon policy requiring a commander’s permission to march in uniform in a parade.

That’s true.  But they did violate other Department of Defense regulations.  Unlike the servicemembers who received Defense Department permission to march in the homosexual parade in San Diego (an “exception” criticized by CARL as another “social experiment”), these former servicemembers appear to be violating, for example, DODI 1334.01 [emphasis added]:

3.2. Former members of the Armed Forces…may wear the uniform in the highest grade held during such war service only on the following occasions…:
3.2.1. Military funerals, memorial services, weddings, and inaugurals.
3.2.2. Parades on National or State holidays; or other parades or ceremonies of a patriotic character in which any Active or Reserve United States military unit is taking part.
3.2.3. Wearing of the uniform or any part thereof at any other time or for any other purposes is prohibited.

It seems clear veterans wearing a military uniform for a homosexual pride parade is expressly prohibited.  It is unlikely they will see repercussions, however, given both the military’s history of not pursuing such cases as well as the delicately approving treatment of homosexuality by the military.  For example, former Army Lt Dan Choi routinely wore his uniform to illegal political protests; there is no indication the military took any recourse.

Photo by Susannah Kay/The Gazette.