Judy Chu: “I rise in strong support of this bill to repeal the flawed Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Alexander Nicholson was a…”

“I rise in strong support of this bill to repeal the flawed Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Alexander Nicholson was a bright young man who joined the Army's Intelligence Unit. He was a great asset, speaking 5 different languages, including Arabic. One day, a fellow linguist discovered a letter he had written to his boyfriend. It was in Portuguese, so he thought no one could understand it. Well, that linguist did and outed him. Instead of being discharged, Alexander resigned . . . 6 months after 9/11 when they needed someone with his ability the most. Since Don't Ask, Don't Tell, 13,000 soldiers have been discharged for no other reason than their sexual orientation. It has cost over $360 million to replace them, an utter waste of dollars and talent. That's why I've stopped calling this policy 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and instead label it what it really is: 'Doesn't Work, Never Has.' Let's stop this misguided policy from hurting countless men and women who serve our country. Our country should praise the men and women who keep us safe--not persecute them.”