News

Pentagon Working Group Report Supports End Of Failed 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy

November 30, 2010

(Washington, DC) - Log Cabin Republicans welcome the results of the Pentagon Comprehensive Review on the implementation of repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' The study, which included a poll of more than half a million servicemembers and military spouses, shows that 69 percent of responders reported that they had served with someone who they believed to be gay or lesbian, and nearly all registered no disruption in their unit.

"The Pentagon report proves what Log Cabin Republicans have long known to be true - 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is an unnecessary burden on our men and women in uniform, and should be eliminated," said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director. "The report shows that the vast majority of our armed forces work on a day-to-day basis with gay and lesbian servicemembers with no disruption to unit cohesion or military readiness. We should expect nothing less from the professional men and women of our military. However, this does not mean that 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' works. For tens of thousands of gay and lesbian servicemembers and their families, the policy remains a heavy burden, and the potential for discharge is a harsh reality. With the clear evidence provided by the Working Group's report in hand, Log Cabin Republicans call upon the Senate to immediately end this injustice by repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"

Log Cabin Republicans have pursued a three-front strategy against 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' lobbying for repeal in Congress, consulting with the Department of Defense, and filing suit in federal court. The case went to trial in July of 2010, and Judge Virginia Phillips ruled on September 9, 2010 that the policy violated the First and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution.