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By Daniel Baxter |
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December 2, 2010 - A report released by the Pentagon on
Wednesday found that a large majority of respondents to
a survey of active-duty and reserve service members and
their families say that ending the "Don't Ask, Don't
Tell" policy barring lesbian and gay service members
from serving openly would not have an adverse effect on
military operations.
Don't ask, don't tell (DADT) is the common term for the
policy restricting the
The restrictions are mandated by federal law Pub.L.
103-160 (10 U.S.C. ? 654). The policy prohibits people
who "demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in
homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces of the |
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| Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach (His Story) | ||||
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The act
prohibits any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing his
or her sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual
relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes,
while serving in the
As it
exists, DADT specifies that the "don't ask" part of the policy
indicates that superiors should not initiate investigation of a
servicemember's orientation in the absence of disallowed
behaviors, though credible and articulable evidence of
homosexual behavior may cause an investigation. Violations of
this aspect through persecutions and harassment of suspected
servicemen and women resulted in the policy's current
formulation as "don't ask, don't tell, don't harass, don't
pursue."
In 2010
the House of Representatives passed a bill that would repeal the
relevant sections of the law, but this measure was stalled in
the Senate. President Obama and Defense Secretary Gates have
both called for the policy to be repealed. In the autumn of
2010, a federal district court judge declared the Don't Ask,
Don't Tell policy unconstitutional and issued an injunction
prohibiting the Department of Defense from enforcing or
complying with the policy. The appellate court stayed the
injunction pending appeal; thus Don't Ask, Don't Tell remains in
effect. On November 12, the US Supreme Court declined to
overturn the stay. |
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In a statement
issued on Tuesday, President Barack Obama urged the Senate to act
swiftly so he can sign the repeal of the so-called ?Don?t Ask, Don?t
Tell? law this year, citing the Defense Department?s report as proof
that the nation ?can transition to a new policy in a responsible
manner.?
?As Commander in
Chief, I have pledged to repeal the ?don?t ask, don?t tell? law because
it weakens our national security, diminishes our military readiness, and
violates fundamental American principles of fairness and equality by
preventing patriotic Americans who are gay from serving openly in our
armed forces. At the same time, as Commander in Chief, I am committed to
ensuring that we understand the implications of this transition, and
maintain good order and discipline within our military ranks. That is
why I directed the Department of Defense earlier this year to begin
preparing for a transition to a new policy. "With the release of this report, Congress can no longer delay ending this discriminatory policy once and for all. For far too long, this policy has been an affront to our fundamental values of fairness and equality, and has compromised the effectiveness of our military. Our men and women in uniform deserve to serve their country with dignity. It is long past time for the Senate to ensure that this unfair and unconstitutional practice is finally brought to an end," said Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU. |
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