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Tucson city
government sends resolution condemning "don't ask, don't
tell"

Tucson city
government sends resolution condemning "don't ask, don't
tell"

tell" " >

The Tucson city government has sent a resolution to the state's congressional delegation asking that the federal ban on gays in the military be repealed. According to a memo obtained by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network on September 6, the city council, Mayor Bob Walkup, and city manager Mike Hein approved the resolution.

SLDN executive director Steve Ralls said in a statement that more than 22,500 LGBT veterans live in Arizona and that there are presently more than 65,000 gay and lesbian troops on active duty.

"Communities from coast to coast realize they are less safe when qualified men and women are turned away from our fighting forces simply because they are lesbian or gay," Ralls said.

The resolution stated that discharging approximately 9,500 service members under "don't ask, don't tell" has cost taxpayers more than $190 million.

More than 100 U.S. House members are attached to a proposed bill that would lift the ban against gays serving openly in the military. Ellen Tauscher, a Democrat from California, is lead sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act. Arizona Democrats Ed Pastor and Raul Grijalva are two of 131 bipartisan cosponsors.

The action follows similar resolutions that have been passed by a handful of other cities across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and St. Louis.

Republican presidential candidate and Arizona senator John McCain has been a supporter of "don't ask, don't tell," though SLDN has made several attempts in the past asking McCain to reconsider his position. (The Advocate)

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Tucson city
government sends resolution condemning "don't ask, don't
tell"

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