The Pentagon said on Friday it was abiding by a court injunction not to discharge openly gay men and women in the U.S. military but warned them against changing their behavior while legal challenges continue.
"We note for service members that altering their personal conduct in this legally uncertain environment may have adverse consequences for themselves and others should the court's decision be reversed," Undersecretary of Defense Clifford Stanley said in a memo.
California-based U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ordered the military on Tuesday to stop enforcing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring openly gay men and women from serving in the armed forces.
She also directed the military to drop any pending investigations and discharges after ruling that the policy violated the Constitution.
The Obama administration on Thursday asked Phillips to stay her ruling while it appealed the decision, which overturned a 17-year-old compromise that allowed gay men and women to serve in the military only if they kept their sexual orientation private.
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