A congressional
bill to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell"
policy now has its 115th cosponsor. Democratic
representative Susan Davis of California, who serves
on the House Armed Services Committee, in
which the measure is pending, has signed on in full
support, saying that the ban on LGBT service members is an
unnecessary "political invention."
"Over the course of the last year, I questioned
high-ranking members of the armed forces, active-duty
military personnel, veterans, military families,
members of the LGBT community, my congressional colleagues,
and other interested groups," Davis, whose district
includes parts of military-heavy San Diego, said in a
statement. "These exchanges helped me to understand
and ultimately dismiss the argument that allowing gays
and lesbians to serve openly in the military would
negatively impact military readiness, as some have
stated. After consulting this diverse sounding board,
it is clear to me that the 'don't ask, don't
tell' policy is a political invention that does
not serve the real needs of our armed forces and
should be repealed."
The executive director of the Servicemembers
Legal Defense Network, which advocates repealing the
ban, lauded Davis's support. "Her sponsorship of this
legislation sends a clear message that repealing
'don't ask, don't tell' is
in the best interest of our armed forces," C. Dixon
Osburn, the group's head, said in a statement.
The bill, known as the Military Readiness
Enhancement Act, was introduced last year by
Democratic representative Marty Meehan of Massachusetts. It
has yet to be brought for a full House vote. (The
Advocate)
