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Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal talks
Congress
US Congress discusses repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell policy
"So far over 12,000 troops have been dismissed under the ââ¬ËDonââ¬â¢t Ask, Donââ¬â¢t Tellââ¬â¢ law"
This week saw the United State House of Representatives Armed Services Committee's Military Personnel Subcommittee engage in the first open discussions on a potential repeal of the military’s ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ policy.
Nobody from the Pentagon was present at the talks, but several Armed Forces personnel gave testimony to the affect of the ban on openly gay, bisexual or lesbian people serving in the military. California Democrat Susan Davis who chaired the proceedings commented;
"Our purpose today is to begin a long overdue review of the various perspectives of this law and policy and to start a conversation about the real life impact on our service members, their families and the operational readiness of our military.”
Despite a recent poll showing that 75% of Americans want gay people to be able to serve openly, only 500 of the estimated 65,000 lesbian and gay service members on active duty, are doing so without consequence.
So far over 12,000 troops have been dismissed under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law which prohibits anyone who ‘demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts’ from joining the Unites States armed forces.
US Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama, who arrives in the UK today on the final leg of his International tour, has said he fully supports a repeal of the ban, while his Republican opponent John McCain is against any change in the current law.
