With “don’t ask don’t tell” no longer an Armed Forces reality Marines in California this weekend took to a gay pride parade to look for new recruits.
According to the Los Angeles Times it was “business as usual” at the event in which Marines asked attendees to complete 20 pull-ups and take part in other events.
Eight Marines were gathered around a table at the parade and their booth is said to have had the biggest draw after receiving more attention then healthcare organizations, church groups and nearby decorated tables.
While the move is a big step forward for the Armed Forces event organizers say there is still a lot of work that needs to be done since the Marines were the only group that accepted a place at the San Gabriel Valley Pride event.
The move to stage Marines at the event comes just one month after Marine Corps Gen. James Amos announced that he strongly opposed the repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell.”
In an amusing moment for the event the Marines argued that they were broke and had the $150 table fee paid for them.
One observer noted about the table at the event:
“They had tens of thousands of felony waivers, and they were taking people convicted of drug use. This will increase the pool of people available and allow people who want to serve the country to join.”
What do you think about Marines now recruiting at gay pride events and do you think other branches of the Armed Services should have made an appearance?
