Parties to Mark End of Military Gay Ban

Come next Tuesday, troops may announce they are gay and attend parties marking the end of the don’t ask, don’t tell rule that banned gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military. However, they should not wear uniforms to parties hosted by gay rights groups and should not criticize commanders or elected officials, according to guidelines issued by a gay rights group, The Washington Post reports.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network drew up the guidelines for what constitutes acceptable behavior when the ban is lifted Tuesday after reviewing military policy. “We expect that most of the DADT repeal celebrations will be just that — celebrations of the repeal of a bad law. No special rules apply to attendance at or participation in such events,” the group said. The Defense Department had no immediate comment, the Post reported.

Military officials haven’t publicly released any plans to mark the end of the ban and President Barack Obama will be in New York for meetings with the U.N. General Assembly. Obama signed a bill ending the ban last December, the Post reported.