Progress on Bill to Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

WASHINGTON (U.S. Newswire) -- One hundred Members of Congress now support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1059), a Congressional bill that would repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel. The bill, introduced in March by Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.), is co-sponsored by Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including nine members of the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) recently became the 100th co-sponsor.

"There is historic, bipartisan progress being made in the fight to lift the ban," said C. Dixon Osburn, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). "In just over six months, one hundred elected representatives from both parties have come together to call for repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' Public support for their effort is strong: 79 percent of Americans support allowing gays to serve openly, and clear majorities of conservatives, church-goers and junior enlisted personnel believe the time has come to place national defense ahead of federal discrimination."

According to the Pentagon, it has discharged more than 10,000 service members for being gay, including nearly 800 with skills deemed "mission critical" by the Department of Defense. Those who have been discharged include linguists, combat engineers, pilots, medical professionals and others. According to statistician Gary Gates, the armed forces could attract as many as 41,000 new recruits by repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," in addition to the 65,000 lesbian and gay Americans already on duty in the active duty, reserve and national guard forces.

"My husband is a Vietnam combat veteran who probably served with gays while defending our freedom," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), a co-sponsor of the legislation. "In fact, one of the army nurses who cared for him after he was severely injured was a lesbian. Did her sexual orientation make her or the guys who served with Dexter less qualified? Of course not. This is an unjust policy that hurts our preparedness." Dexter Lehtinen is a former acting U.S. Attorney. He received a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam.

Three other Republican lawmakers -- Reps. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.), Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) -- have joined Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen in co-sponsoring the legislation. "(I)t's increasingly obvious to Congress that the policy doesn't work," Rep. Kolbe recently said.

"Despite shortages in many specialties and a shortfall in recruiting during 2005, Pentagon leaders recently chose to lower academic standards, raise the maximum enlistment age and waive some criminal convictions for new enlistees while continuing to turn away qualified gay Americans who want to serve," said Osburn. "The time has come to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"

For more information on the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a complete list of co-sponsors and SLDN's work to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' visit http://www.sldn.org.