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Washington Post: Virginia Members of Vets Activist Group Urges Repeal of DADT

Posted at 10:51 AM ET, 05/24/2010
Virginia members of vets activist group urges repeal of 'Don't Ask Don't Tell'

The battle over the possible repeal of the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy for gay service members is heating up, in Virginia and elsewhere.

Today, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an activist group opposed to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," delivered a letter to Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) signed by 20 Virginia military women, urging Webb to support an overturn of the policy. "There is no evidence that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly will harm unit cohesion, just as there was no evidence that allowing women and minorities to serve would do so. To the contrary, we have seen from our own experiences that it is dishonesty that hurts unit cohesion - not the sexual orientation of our brothers- and sisters-in-arms," they write.

Webb has endorsed the approach of the current military leadership, which is now conducting an reexamination of the military's policies for gay service members. Advocates, like the legal defense network, are trying to move more quickly and get "Don't Ask Don't Tell" repealed as an amendment to the defense budget currently under consideration.

Meanwhile, there is also action from opponents of changing the policy today. The well-known Coral Ridge Ministries today distributed a letter urging Congress to leave the policy alone.

By Rosalind Helderman | May 24, 2010; 10:51 AM ET

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