He said service members are hoping the Pentagon will clarify the meaning of the court ruling. "Can I come out right now and be OK? And if I made a statement would it be held against me?" asked the officer, who calls himself JD Smith and said he is an Air Force Academy graduate.
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David Lapan, said no written guidance had been issued to commanders on how to deal with the court order.Īn Air Force officer and co-founder of a gay service member support group called OutServe said he will continue using a pseudonym out of concern that he still could be discharged. Gay rights advocates cautioned gay service members to avoid revealing their sexuality for fear that the Phillips ruling could be tossed out on appeal and they would be left open to being discharged.ĭefense Department officials would not say what was happening to current discharge cases, or even confirm how many pending cases there might be. Phillips wrote that the law "infringes the fundamental rights" of current and prospective service members. The 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law says gays may serve in the military but only if they keep secret their sexual orientation. District Judge Virginia Phillips in Riverside, Calif., ordered the military "immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation" or other proceeding to dismiss gay service members.
"It has enormous consequences for our troops." 1.Īllowing gays to serve openly "is an action that requires careful preparation and a lot of training," Gates said. On Wednesday, Gates told reporters traveling with him in Europe that repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" law should be considered only after the Pentagon completes a study of the impact of lifting the ban, including an assessment of service members' attitudes toward the change.
"This is a policy that is going to end," he said.
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