EDGE Los Angeles

At the OutServe-SLDN national dinner, leaders and veterans took a moment to celebrate their gains before refocusing on the mission -- to serve and protect LGBT servicemembers.

The UN has formally accused the United States government for cruel and inhuman treatment towards openly gay solider Bradley Manning.

It will likely be a few years before Afghanistan is secure enough for the U.S. Marines to leave, Commandant Gen. James Conway said Tuesday, adding his voice to a growing chorus of military leaders warning of a long fight ahead.

An Idaho aviator has reached an agreement with the U.S. Air Force to temporarily block his discharge under the "don’t ask, don’t tell" law that bars openly gay and lesbian military members from service.

Advocates for GLBT troops warn that there are inadequate protections in place to protect the confidentiality of gay troops whose participation in a survey of military servicemembers could violate the terms of the law by outing them.

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday said he thinks the military should keep its ban on openly gay service members in part because he doesn’t want to open a national discussion about homosexuality.

The fringe right’s has reacted to votes by the Senate Armed Forces Committee and the full U.S. House of Representatives last week to set aside the anti-gay law that bars openly gay troops from service.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday he would have preferred that Congress had waited before voting to repeal the "don’t ask, don’t tell" law that bans gays from serving openly in the military.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is telling troops not to be distracted by the political debate over gays serving openly in the military.

In quick succession Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee and the full House approved measures to repeal the 1993 law that allows gay people to serve in the armed services only if they hide their sexual orientation.