Lawmakers press Obama on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

Seventy-seven House members are urging President Obama to suspend the investigation and discharge of military personnel because of their sexual orientation.

“We urge you to exercise the maximum discretion legally possible in administering don’t ask, don’t tell until Congress repeals the law,” the lawmakers wrote to Obama on Monday.

{mosads}The House lawmakers are asking Obama to direct the military leadership not to initiate any investigation of personnel to determine their sexual orientation and to instruct military officials to disregard any accusations made by third parties with the regard to sexual orientation of personnel.

“We request that you impose that no one is asked and that you ignore, as the law requires, third parties who tell,” the lawmakers, led by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) wrote.  “Under your leadership, Congress must then repeal and replace don’t ask, don’t tell with a policy of inclusion and non-discrimination.”

President Obama has pledged to repeal the don’t ask, don’t tell law, which bans openly gay people to serve in the military. However, Obama and Pentagon leaders have not yet taken any steps to repeal that law, despite strong pressure from gay rights advocates.

Among the signatories of the letter are several member of the Democratic House leadership, including Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz (D-Fla.).

Don’t ask, don’t tell was signed into law in 1993 by former President Bill Clinton as a compromise to allow gay and lesbian service members to serve in the military – so long as they did not disclose their sexual orientations.

“Since you took office on January 20, 2009, more than 250 gay and lesbian service members have been discharged under this law, which continues to undermine and demoralize the more than 65,000 gay and lesbian Americans currently serving on active duty,” the lawmakers wrote to Obama.