Lambda Legal: After Sixteen Years of Discrimination, It's Time to End the Policy

(New York, February 2, 2010) - In response to today's hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the repeal of the military's policy on gay service members known as "Don't Ask Don't Tell," Lambda Legal released the following statement by Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director:

"Today's hearing is an historic first step toward ending this pointless and harmful policy and we are hopeful that the steps taken by military leaders in the next 45 days to narrow the application of the law will spare some gay service members from discrimination. The president and the leaders of the Pentagon are moving in the right direction and we welcome this progress. The words of Adm. Mullen cut right to the core of why this policy is so objectionable - it 'forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.'

"But we have to ask: After 16 years of this discriminatory policy, what is there left to study? If it takes a year to study "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," how many more skilled and patriotic service members will be unnecessarily discharged under this failed policy? Dedicated gay and lesbian service members - and the country - have waited long enough."

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