Twenty-eight
retired generals and admirals released a letter Friday
urging Congress to overturn the ban on gays serving openly
in the military, according to The New York Times. The letter cites information
showing that 65,000 gay men and lesbians are currently
serving in the military and that there are more
than 1 million gay and lesbian veterans who have
"served our nation honorably."
"We
respectfully urge Congress to repeal the
'don't ask, don't tell'
policy," the letter says. "Those of us signing
this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the
rights of our citizens to believe whatever they
wish."
The pressure to
repeal the ban is on members of Congress, as the
Department of Defense is on record saying it will uphold
whatever legislation Congress passes on the subject.
Each of the
Democratic candidates running for president has pledged to
end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy should they become
president. In contrast, Republicans are unwilling to
overturn the ban, citing, among other reasons,
that wartime is not the right time to make changes and
that repeal will hinder the unit cohesion of
troops.
Friday marked the
14th anniversary of the policy's enactment by former
president Bill Clinton. (The Advocate)
