A group of military service members and veterans marched in last weekend’s San Diego pride parade, marking the first time (ever!) that a pride march included a contingent of active duty personnel. Not all who marched were gay, but for those who were, this was an unprecedented moment to be fully open about their sexuality in the face of a less-than-approving military. It’s hard not to see this as a direct extension of the developments with DADT, though organizers were quick to say their motivations weren’t political. With any luck, military contingents will become as commonplace as hot pants and jello shots as pride season ramps up again next year. Congrats San Diego–and here we thought you were just the conservative (albeit pretty) step-sister of LA.

Images via SD LGBT Weekly