Army specialist comes out to military as gay during live broadcast of Pride parade

A U.S. Army specialist celebrating World Pride in New York City over the weekend came out to the military as gay on live television during an interview with ABC7 in New York.

“I’m still not out in the military, at this point,” Spc. Brion Houston of Vermont said in the midst of the city’s annual Pride parade. Houston was surrounded by his cousin and friends, who cheered during his announcement.

{mosads}When asked whether this was his “coming out,” the service member replied “I guess it is.”

“This is absolutely incredible,” Houston said.  

ABC News Live shared the exchange on Twitter.

Army specialist comes out to the military during #PRIDE on @ABCNewsLive: “This is my coming out… There’s no better time to be out in the military than right now.”

WATCH
: https://t.co/Vl9SpFbBPO
: @ABC News App: https://t.co/VdPByipYgV
: @ABC News on any streaming device pic.twitter.com/EAnorgWl5E

— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) June 30, 2019

He added that this Pride month was special because it marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, when a police raid on the Stonewall Inn sparked a response that became foundational to the American LGBTQ rights movement.

“On the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, there’s no better time to be out in the military than right now,” Houston said. 

In 2011, former President Obama ended the “don’t ask, don’t tell,” policy, which banned LGBTQ people from serving openly in the military.