May 27, 2010
US military to end gay ban
<!-- by line --> <!-- end by line --> WASHINGTON - A KEY Senate panel seemed poised to vote on Thursday to lift a ban on gays serving openly in the US military but let the Pentagon decide how to do so after reviewing the repeal's possible impact. The Senate Armed Services Committee was slated to take up the issue amid polls showing that nearly eight in ten Americans favour scrapping the restrictions, codified in a 1993 policy known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'
The rule requires gay military personnel to keep quiet about their sexual orientation or face dismissal - an approach critics charge has harmed US national security by forcing out qualified, committed troops. Under a White House-backed compromise crafted by Independent Senator Joe Lieberman, lawmakers would vote now on lifting the ban but let the US Defence Department decide how and how quickly to implement the repeal after completing a review due December 1 on the potential impact of scrapping the ban.
The Pentagon would also await a certification from President Barack Obama, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and the top US uniformed military officer, joint chiefs chairman Mike Mullen, that the repeal would not harm the military. Senate and House of Representatives supporters hope to attach their proposal to an annual military spending bill that Mr Obama could sign well before November mid-term elections. Opponents of the approach, chiefly Republicans, charged that backers of the plan were rushing the process and called for letting the Pentagon wrap up its assessment of rank-and-file attitudes to repeal before voting on the measure. More than 13,500 service members have been dismissed under the law since it was adopted. -- AFP
