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Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask’ urged

A coalition of gay rights groups has launched a renewed assault on the U.S. military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, marking its 14th anniversary by planting 12,000 U.S. flags on the National Mall to recognize troops discharged over the policy and releasing a letter signed by 28 retired general and flag officers calling on Congress to repeal it.

“We respectfully urge Congress to repeal the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy,” the letter stated. “Those of us signing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish. As Gen. Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs said when the ... policy was enacted, it is not the place of the military or those in senior leadership to make moral judgments.”

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A 360-degree view of the flags

Two of the generals — retired Army Maj. Gen. Dennis Laich, of Dublin, Ohio, and retired Maj. Gen. Alexander Burgin, of Salem, Ore. — attended a Friday morning news event that followed the planting of the flags, and Laich addressed reporters. Also speaking was Rhonda Davis, a former Navy mass communications specialist first class who was discharged in 2006 after attending a gay-marriage march in New York City and then admitting in two news interviews that she is gay.

Afterwards, the Human Rights Campaign’s Amy Martin, bundled up on a chilly day, walked through a sun-splashed field across from the Washington Monument, re-planting flags the wind had blown over. She said one of her female friends, an Arabic translator, was kicked out of the Army because of the policy.

“It’s sad that these highly trained people [are] getting kicked out,” Martin said. “That’s so dumb.”

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is the popular term for the policy, enacted in November 1993 and implemented by the Defense Department in February 1994, that prohibits commanders from asking service members about their sexuality — unless a command receives “credible information” about possible homosexuality — but mandates separation from service for those who state publicly that they are homosexual and affirm that they have engaged in homosexual behavior.

Those who support the policy argue that homosexuality is incompatible with military service, saying that allowing gays to openly serve would degrade unit cohesion and “good order and discipline,” particularly in adverse field conditions where little or no privacy is possible. But it is opposed by many gay activists who say it’s a weak compromise that requires gays to keep their sexual orientation secret and provides no protection for gays who want to confide in another military member.

Advocates also note that many of the nearly 12,000 service members discharged under the law since it was enacted had critical military skills, including more than 300 linguists.

Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the military “will follow congressional direction on homosexual conduct.” She also said the Defense Department “expects all service members to be treated with dignity and respect ... all the time,” and conducts “extensive, recurring training to eliminate harassment of all types.”

Smith also noted that troops kicked out of the military for homosexuality “have the opportunity to continue to serve their nation … by putting their abilities to use by way of civilian employment with other federal agencies, the Department of Defense or in the private sector, such as with a government contractor.”

In March, Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs, told the Chicago Tribune at the tail end of a wide-ranging editorial board meeting that homosexuality is “immoral.” He added, “That is why I’m comfortable with the current [policy] because it does not make a judgment about the morality of individual acts.” Pace also likened homosexual activity to adultery.

Current top Pentagon officials have not taken a stance on the issue, saying their responsibility is to do what Congress has directed. “It is the law and it’s what we carry out,” Adm. Mike Mullen, the current Joint Chiefs chairman, told Military Times editors and reporters Nov. 27. “If the American people want to change this policy and change this law, bringing it up through that body and changing that policy and changing the law is the right answer.”

The spokesman for the leading proponent of gay rights for service members agrees.

“The Department of Defense is correct — that this is a ... law, and it’s up to Congress to get rid of it,” said Steve Ralls, director of communications for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. “The American people, however, have long been far ahead of Congress on this issue. Every poll shows that a majority of Americans favor repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ ”

Ralls said Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates “can both play an important role in making sure that the will of the public is carried out, and the Department of Defense sends a clear message to Congress that getting rid of this ban is in the best interests of our military readiness. That will significantly advance efforts to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ ”