Carolyn Maloney: “It is time to repeal the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue'' policy in the U.S. military once and for all. The study…”

“It is time to repeal the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue'' policy in the U.S. military once and for all. The study recently released by the Pentagon confirms what so many of us have known all along: there is no compelling state interest in barring lesbian, gay and bisexual persons from serving openly in our armed forces. From the initial introduction of this profoundly misguided policy in 1993, I have never wavered in my belief that our nation's armed forces should not discriminate against otherwise qualified citizens on the basis of their sexual orientation--or their desire not to maintain such orientation under a stifling cloak of secrecy that encourages and even forces them to hide, or even worse, to lie about who they are. Today, at a time when our nation is engaged in a difficult military conflict in Afghanistan, the extent to which the so-called compromise ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy has damaged America's military readiness has become even more apparent than it was seventeen years ago. The policy against allowing lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers to serve openly has resulted in depriving our armed forces of the abilities, experience and dedication of thousands of qualified active duty personnel. This institutionalized discrimination is completely illogical and counter-productive as we grapple with an increasingly dangerous world wracked by the threat of international terrorism, with our servicemembers in harm's way all over the world.”