Banner courtesy of hrc.org/repealdadt
The military policy, “don’t ask, don’t tell,” has been banned. According to the written judgment and permanent injunction by United States District Judge, Virginia A. Phillips, “the act known as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ infringes the fundamental rights of United States servicemembers and prospective servicemembers.”
It continues to say that such act violates the “substantive due process rights guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and the rights to freedom of speech and to petition the government for redress of grievances guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
According to an Oct. 13 USA Today article, the Justice Department has 60 days to appeal this ruling.
“The Pentagon nor the Justice Department, which has 60 days to appeal, would comment,” USA Today reported.
By banning “don’t ask, don’t tell,” gay and lesbian troops would no longer be forbidden from openly serving the country. Since its enactment in 1993, according to Servicemember United (the nations largest group of gay and lesbian troops and veterans) 14,000 servicemembers have been discharged.
Josue Velasquez
Managing Editor
Loading...
