Latest News

Republican Presidential Candidates Support Dismissal of Lesbian & Gay Military Personnel

Washington, DC - During a Tuesday evening debate on CNN, the 2008 Republican presidential candidates indicated they would maintain the federal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service personnel. Speaking in New Hampshire, many of the leading candidates said they believed the policy "is working," in stark contrast to remarks on Sunday by Democratic candidates, who unanimously supported repealing the law.

"I don't think this would be the right time to raise these issues," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said. Giuliani was joined by Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who told the audience that "I think it would be a terrific mistake to even reopen the issue. It is working, my friends. The policy is working."

Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) acknowledged supporting a repeal of the law earlier in his career, saying that, "No, actually when I first heard of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy I thought it sounded awfully silly and didn't think that'd be very effective, and I turned out to be wrong." Today, however, Romney supports maintaining the ban. "It's been the policy now in the military for, what, 10,15 years? And it seems to be working," he said. Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) and former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AK) also indicated support for the law.

"If Republican leaders believe this law is working, then their definition of "working" is fundamentally flawed," said Sharra E. Greer, director of law and policy for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). "As our military struggles to find qualified troops and our fighting forces are stretched to a near breaking point, turning away talented and skilled gay Americans is a detriment to our national security. Eight out of ten Americans understand the importance of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" It is unfortunate that the Republican candidates for president do not. They are out of touch with their constituents and out of step with our country's best interests.

Since its implementation 1993, more than 11,000 service members have been dismissed under the law, including nearly 800 with skills deemed "mission-critical" by the Department of Defense. More than 300 language specialists alone have been removed from the services because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" The cost to taxpayers has been estimated at $363.8 million.

"To paraphrase Senator McCain," said Greer, "It is not working, my friends. The policy is not working."

Click here to read the original article.