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Telling About "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
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ShareJune 06, 2007 3:35 PM
ABC News' Rick Klein reports: Fresh off a pair of presidential debates where Democrats and Republicans split sharply over the issue of gays in the military, the 2008 candidates are about to hear much more about "don't ask, don't tell."
Next Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign is kicking off a nation-wide tour to press for the military's "don't ask, don’t tell" policy to be overturned. The policy, put into place early in the Clinton administration, prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces but allows them to serve if they keep their sexual orientation private.
The first event will be in politically crucial Iowa, and will feature the first US troop injured in the Iraq war -- he came out as gay after receiving a medical discharge -- and an Arab linguist who was discharged because of his sexual orientation. Future events are planned for New Hampshire -- home of the first primary contests in the nation -- as well as Arizona, Florida, California, and Washington state.
All 18 declared presidential candidates were asked at this week's debates whether they would overturn "don't ask, don't tell." The eight Democrats indicated that they would, with some citing the hundreds of language specialists who have been forced out of the military under the policy.
All 10 Republicans, however, said they would leave the existing policy in place. "This is not the time to deal with disruptive issues like this," said former mayor Rudolph Giuliani, R-N.Y., who is perhaps the Republican candidate who has been most supportive of gay rights.
The effort to raise the issue's importance in the presidential race comes as some Democrats mount the first serious push to overturn the policy since it was enacted in 1993. Though supporters of reversing "don't ask, don't tell," are realistic about how difficult it will be to muster the votes to change the policy, they’re hoping that congressional hearings this year will begin to change some minds.
June 6, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (3)
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I thought these same Republican candidates claim that they are against discrimination? It it utterly shameful to tell an able-bodied, intelligent, and willing American citizen that he or she cannot serve their nation.
The military belongs to ALL of the people.
Posted by: Kevin | Jun 6, 2007 5:37:02 PM
I was ONE of those service members FORCED OUT of the military after almost SIX years of honorable service in the U.S. Navy. I went to Nuclear Power school, served on submarines and was a Protestant Lay Reader (the submarine's Protestant preacher). I balked at being the "lay reader" but my Executive Officer told me if I didn't find someone else to do it then there would be NO PROTESTANT SERVICES on the submarine. Therefore, had it not been for a GAY MAN there would not have been PROTESTANT SERVICES on a submarine during the Cold War. So what DO YOU THINK OF THAT PAT ROBERTSON??? God, thought it was okay... or I wouldn't have done it.
Posted by: Timothy Beauchamp | Jun 6, 2007 7:32:39 PM
Honorable discharge 10 years USN vet and gay.
Posted by: J. Smith | Jun 6, 2007 9:19:20 PM
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