Mullen Talks DADT Repeal in L.A.

Speaking at a conference on war veterans' issues in Los Angeles on Friday, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Robert Mullen reiterated his support for ending "don't ask, don't tell," but declined to pledge support for ending the ban within 60 days of a Pentagon study to be released in December.

"The language of the [DADT legislative repeal] I'm quite comfortable with ... [though] I would have preferred that the legislation wait until we finish the review. There are a lot of very strong views on this," Mullen said. "Any type of objective analysis on how it will affect those who it will affect the most, even when the law changes, isn't out there."

Karen Ocamb, news editor for Frontiers in LA, asked Mullen if he would support implementing repeal within 60 days of the study's December 1 release date. "Short answer to the [question]: No, he wants to see the report first," Ocamb wrote on her blog, LGBT POV.

Members of the LGBT direct action group GetEqual were also in attendance and pressed Mullen on his repeal stance. "Mullen was engaged no less than six times by separate members of the LGBT community regarding DADT repeal," the group wrote on its Facebook page. "He was gracious in accepting a packet of questions we had prepared for him -- and again reiterated that he is for repeal of DADT."

GetEqual opted not to disrupt the event, however. "Admiral Mullen is one of the highest military officials who's spoken in favor of repeal, so we want to act respectfully," GetEqual cofounder Robin McGehee told theL.A. Weekly. "But we want to ask as many questions as possible about repeal."