Supreme Court
ruling renews attention on "don't ask, don't tell"

In the aftermath of last week's Supreme Court ruling that universities must allow military recruiters on campus in spite of opposition to "don't ask, don't tell," attention has shifted to the ban itself and whether it will fall. Advocates for repealing the military's ban on openly gay people hope that momentum is now on their side, reports The New York Times. "The silver lining in this decision is that it has focused attention on the underlying issue of the prejudicial 'don't ask, don't tell' policy,'' Steve Ralls, a spokesman for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which monitors discrimination against gay people in the military, told the Times. Patrick Guerriero, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, agreed, saying that he had recently noticed "new traction" on the issue in Congress, where several members have publicly expressed concern that barring openly gay people only hinders an already overextended military at a time when it can use as many personnel as possible. Guerriero added, however, "Ultimately, we think it's going to take a Republican with strong military credentials to make a shift in the policy." Since the Supreme Court decision, several newspapers across the country have run editorials in support of ending "don't ask, don't tell," including The Washington Post, which said "a combination of bigotry and inertia" keeps it in place. (Advocate.com)