DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL ON LAST LEGS

The US media is reporting that the Pentagon is set to announce its approval of the repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ ban on gay and lesbian military personnel, possibly as soon as today.

Sources have claimed that Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will confirm that the military is ready to accept gay and lesbian service members and that this will not affect military readiness.

This could be the last hurdle in the discriminatory law’s repeal, which was approved by the US senate in December. The repeal, however required a number of steps to first be taken, including certification by the military and President Obama.

Once Obama certifies the repeal of the 18-year-old law, it will officially come to an end sixty days later.

LGBT rights groups welcomed the news, with Army Veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis saying that gay and lesbian service members have served their country in silence for far too long.

“The troops and their commanders are ready,” said Sarvis. “Our nation’s top military leaders have testified that commanders see no significant challenges ahead.

“The official certification to Congress that the armed forces are prepared for the end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ should go to Capitol Hill tomorrow with the President’s signature.”

The Obama administration has continued to defend ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in legal battles against the policy while simultaneously working to dismantle it, insisting that the law should be repealed in an orderly way and not through the courts.