USA/FILE: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announces plan to repeal ban on gays in the military

Record ID: 278422

  • Title: USA/FILE: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announces plan to repeal ban on gays in the military
  • Date: 3rd February 2010
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (FEBRUARY 2, 2010) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) VARIOUS OF SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE HEARING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES SAYING: "I fully support the President's decision. The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how we best prepare for it. We received
  • Embargoed: 18th February 2010 12:00
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  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3Q8XV4N6HZF97FHSWOXGKHJYS
  • Story Text: A wary U.S. military prepared on Tuesday (February 2, 2010) for an eventual repeal of its "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring gays from serving openly, but made clear movement should be gradual on the politically charged change requested by U.S. President Barack Obama.
    The Pentagon will take at least a year to act.
    Obama called for repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" in his State of the Union address last week, putting a spotlight on the hot-button issue before congressional elections in November and in the middle of efforts to get his budget through a skeptical Congress.
    U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has voiced caution in the past against moving too quickly to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," said he supports Obama's decision and announced the appointment of a team of advisers to start reviewing steps the U.S. military would have to take to integrate openly gay service members.
    Gates said the review team would complete an implementation plan by the end of 2010, but that additional time would be needed to carry out the panel's recommendations.
    "I fully support the President's decision. The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how we best prepare for it. We received our orders from the Commander-in-Chief, and we are moving out accordingly. However, we can also take this process only so far, as the ultimate decision rests with you, the Congress," Gates said.
    As an interim step, Gates said the Pentagon would review existing policies within 45 days to determine how "don't ask, don't tell" could be enforced more "humane and fair manner." This could include halting disciplinary proceedings against gay servicemen who are "outed" by others.
    Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that while he must still discuss the issue within the military, he personally supported the President's bid to repeal the policy.
    "It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy, which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, personally, it comes down to integrity. Their's as individuals, and ours as an institution," Admiral Mullen said.
    But Mullen acknowledged that with a repeal of the policy, there may be consequences that need to be considered.
    "That there will be some disruption in the force, I cannot deny. That there will be legal, social, and perhaps infrastructure changes to be made, certainly seem plausible. We would all like to have a better handle on these types of concerns, and this is what our review will offer," Mullen said.
    Many top military officers and Republicans in Congress assert that having gays openly serve in uniform would undermine morale and discipline.
    Senator John McCain (R-AZ) opposes the attempt to repeal the policy.
    "Has this policy been ideal? No, it is not, but it has been effective. It has helped to balance a potentially disruptive tension between the desires of a minority and the broader interests of our all-volunteer force. It is well understood, and predominantly supported by our fighting men and women. It reflects, as I understand them, preferences of our uniformed services. It has sustained unit cohesion and unit moral, while still allowing gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country in uniform," McCain said.
    Opponents to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, supported the Obama administration's push to change the policy.
    Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal church told Reuters that a repeal of the policy would have a tremendous impact in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community.
    "It has to do with claiming our full and rightful citizenship in this country. We love this country as much as anyone else, and some of us seek to serve in the military. And to be told that we are not worthy of that, or that somehow we are a danger, not a help, is just another systemic way of saying to us, 'You don't count. Your families don't count. You are not equal, under the Constitution.' And so, settling this, once and for all, would be enormously important to all LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) people," Robinson said.
    The "don't ask, don't tell" policy was signed into law in 1993 by Democratic President Bill Clinton as a compromise after the military objected to his calls to open its doors to gays.
    It bans openly gay people from serving in the military but prohibits military officials from initiating inquiries on sexual orientation when soldiers are abiding by the rules.
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