"Obama Says Repeal Of Military Gay Ban Needs Study"

[Bluebear]

Aubrey Sarvis, the president of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a group that advocates for the repeal of the military's gay ban, is speaking out on President Barack Obama's reported delay in fulfilling a campaign promise to lift “don't ask, don't tell,” the 16-year-old military law that bans open gay service.

The Boston Globe reported on Feb. 1 that the administration would wait for a Pentagon assessment on the issue before moving forward. Sarvis called that Washington-speak for “let's just kick this down the road a ways” in a Huffington Post editorial...

The Pentagon has been told that the Obama administration will not be looking to lift the ban soon, reports the Globe.

President Obama first began distancing himself from the issue in September when he told Mark Segal, publisher of gay weekly Philadelphia Gay News (www.epgn.com), that he would first seek consensus from lawmakers and commanders on the issue.

“Although I have consistently said I would repeal 'don't ask, don't tell', I believe that the way to do it is make sure that we are working through a process, getting the Joint Chiefs of Staff clear in terms of what our priorities are going to be,” Obama said.

http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=3180&MediaType=1&Category=26