The US military said it is accepting openly gay recruits for the first time in the country’s history, after a judge upheld an order ending a controversial ban on homosexual troops.

A federal judge ordered the US military to stop enforcing its ban on openly gay troops immediately, bringing the 17-year “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy closer than it has ever been to being abolished.

A US judge today moved to end the military’s 17-year-old ban on openly gay troops.

A federal judge in Southern California declared the US military's ban on openly gay service members to be unconstitutional.

US President George W Bush yesterday backed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage — a move he said was needed to stop judges from changing the definition of the “most enduring human institution”.