Congressional
opposition to "don't ask, don't tell" growing

The roster of politicians lining up to put an end to the "don't ask, don't tell" military policy is steadily growing, with three Democrats and one Republican becoming recent cosponsors of House legislation that would repeal the ban on openly gay soldiers.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a nonprofit group working to end "don't ask, don't tell," announced on Thursday that Republican Sherwood Boehlert of New York and Democrats Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, Julia Carson of Indiana, and Michael Doyle or Pennsylvania signed on as cosponsors of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the bill introduced in March 2005 that would eliminate the ban. The four politicians join the 110 other members of Congress who have already called for an end to "don't ask, don't tell."

"More and more lawmakers of both parties are increasingly disillusioned by the military's policy of exclusion and discrimination," said SLDN executive director C. Dixon Osburn. "'Don't ask, don't tell' undermines our national security and singles out lesbian and gay Americans for second-class citizenship. Service to our country should be based on talent and qualification."

Boehlert is now the fifth Republican cosponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act. McKinney is the ninth member of the House Armed Services Committee who is a cosponsor. (The Advocate)