Pentagon warns gay soldiers, sailors to stay in closet

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is warning gay troops that speaking up could still get them in trouble.

A new Pentagon memo says there is a “legally uncertain environment” while the Obama administration appeals a court ruling striking down the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law. The law banned gays from serving openly in the military.

The Defense Department has said it will comply with the court order while the case winds its way through the legal system. But in a memo released Friday, the Pentagon’s top personnel chief says troops might suffer “adverse consequences for themselves or others” if they change their conduct and then the court’s decision is reversed.