A great deal of ink has already been spilled debating the "
don't ask, don't tell" policy that until this week barred gays and lesbians from serving openly in this nation's military.
& Readiness), subject: Repeal of
Don't Ask, Don't Tell and Future Impact on Policy (28 Jan.
By engaging in a dishonest debate about military readiness and failing to focus instead on the paranoid basis of the policy, we in the "
don't ask, don't tell" repeal community missed an opportunity over the last 17 years to talk about the real source of discrimination--the tradition of paranoia in American culture.
According to the BBC, senators voted 65-31 to overturn the 1993 "
don't ask, don't tell" law, which bars gays in the military from revealing their sexual orientation.
The X-Men star spoke out after the US president failed to overturn the
Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy which bars gay men and women from serving in the US army.
government rescinds its "
don't ask, don't tell" policy on gay Americans serving in the armed forces.
She gave an impassioned speech in support of repealing America's
Don't Ask, Don't Tell laws at a rally in Deering Oaks Park in Portland, Maine, on Monday night.
"While it appears likely that Congress will eventually change the '
don't ask, don't tell' law, we do not expect the legislation that would do this to be presented to the president for months--perhaps not until the end of the year."
Obama promised to end ''
don't ask, don't tell'' policy, which prohibits members of the military from serving if they are openly gay.
Since LGBT servicemembers cannot officially list their partners as their spouses under "
Don't Ask, Don't Tell," they are unable to take advantage of these benefits, which, viewed collectively, have a large financial effect on LGBT military families.