Forced into closet by nation they serve

Wednesday in , the United States Naval Academy welcomed the most racially and ethnically diverse class in its history: 14 percent Hispanic, 10 percent African-American - and perhaps 2 percent to 3 percent . I added that last part. No one knows how many are or , but studies have placed the percentage of serving this nation’s military in that range, with some 65,000 said to be on . It’s a fairly that a small percentage of will have to keep their a secret if they want to graduate from the academy and, after that, fulfill their obligations to the country.

That’s what “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” demands.

It forces serving the nation to lie about their or discharge. An estimated 13,000 have been discharged under Don’t Ask in the 16 years since the law took effect. The says 277 of the have occurred since Barack Obama became . As a candidate, Mr. pledged to end Don’t Ask. Last week, the he reiterated his support for eventual repeal of the law by .

Skip Muller was a at the at the start of the Don’t Ask . Prior to entering the academy, he had studied Russian at the in California.

“As an 18-year-old I struggled to understand my own , while all around me I saw actively targeted, investigated and ejected from the military because they were ,” Mr. writes on the Web site of USNAOut, an of alumni. “I forced myself to date women and live the lie that consumed and exhausted me for years to come.”

After graduating from the academy in 1996, Mr. Muller served two tours aboard , the second cut short by under Don’t Ask. See

Forced into closet by nation they serve

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Gay Sailor Found Dead On Marine Base In Suspected Homicide

— The body of a 29-year-old sailor was found in a guard shack Tuesday, and a “person of interest” was taken into custody in connection with the suspected homicide, officials said yesterday.

The body of Seaman August Provost of Houston, Texas, was discovered about 3:30 a.m. on the of the base, said Doug , a for Region .

An autopsy was completed yesterday, but were waiting for results of to determine a cause of death.

A “person of interest” was being held in the brig at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. No charges have been filed.

The death has local calling for a into whether Provost was slain because of his .

“We’re definitely monitoring this and trust and hope the military will investigate this in the professional way it should,” said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, chairman of ’s Commission. Murray- also has contacted Reps. and , asking that they make official to the military concerning an investigation.

The would not comment on whether Provost’s had anything to do with the death.

“While ‘Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ is in place, anybody in the military who is a has no place to go to get assistance or counseling,” said Ben Gomez of , an for in the military.

Provost’s boyfriend, Kaether , said yesterday that Provost was openly but kept his quiet for the most part.

who he was with, I knew that they knew,” said from Houston. “He didn’t care that they knew. He trusted them.”

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Gates Plan May Be Beginning of the End of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

Studies Ways to Relax Enforcement as First Step; Impact on Troops Would be Minimal

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — In the wake of yesterday’s unexpected announcement about in the military, experts say the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy may be on the of that would speed up its demise. After speaking with last week, has asked military to explore how to modify enforcement of the policy in ways that are “more flexible until the law is changed.” The Monday reiterated his to end against troops, saying he is working with and the military to do so.

Christopher , of the Palm Center, said the remarks by Secretary Gates marked the first time the has made clear that the is onboard with the ’s determination to lift the ban. “‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is a package — both a law and a policy — that ’t been penetrated for fifteen years,” said. “This is a crack in , and it gets the ball rolling for a since it gives cover to who have been waiting for a from the .”

said that even a small change in how “don’t ask, don’t tell” is enforced could represent a seismic , even if it does not have a substantial on most troops, who would still be subject to discharge. If the military stops applying certain of the policy, as Gates says it is considering, it would send a signal to about the of change. “That’s why is the key to unlocking the ,” said . “Even the statements themselves, although they do await follow-up action, have changed the .”
 
Last month, the Palm Center published a report which outlined several legal and political for executive branch in regulating, and even halting, provided for by . One of those is closely linked to the new review announced by Secretary Gates. According to the Palm Center study, “the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy itself, as codified by , also authority to the to determine the procedures under which investigations, separation , and other personnel actions under the authority of 10 U.S.C. Section 654 will be carried out … The Secretary of Defense has to determine the specific manner in which ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ will be implemented.” Prior to the release of the Palm Center’s report, most had assumed that only or the end the firings of troops.
 
Amidst mounting public pressure, press said this week that he thought “don’t ask, don’t tell” would be repealed by the end of the ’s first term. Nathaniel Frank, senior research at the Palm Center, said this week’s developments were politically significant. “Serious discussions have been launched by the himself,” said Frank. “ has said this is a failed policy that harms , so these are not just fixes, but may be the .” Frank added that any regulatory changes that fall short of halting all will be “window-dressing,” but he focused on the implications for further political change. “This means the potato party may finally be over, as the understands where the buck stops.”
 
In the wake of this week’s developments, the Palm Center announced that it is preparing a more extensive legal analysis of administrative for relaxing the application of certain of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” said that the Defense Department should invite as the rules are re-drafted, which would be consistent with past processes when military regulations have been
changed. “This review should be no different,” he said.
 
Organizations and individuals who have endorsed or endorsed consideration of the use of based on the legal theories outlined in the Palm Center’s study include Secretary Gates, 77 of , the page, , Campaign, , of the , the Robert Shrum, and former aide .
 
The Palm Center is a research institute at the , Santa Barbara. The Center uses rigorous social to inform of controversial , enabling to be informed more by evidence than by . Its data- approach is premised on the that the public makes wise on when high-quality information is available. For more information, visit www.palmcenter.ucsb.edu.

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Senator Harry Reid Says Obama Should Sign Order on Gay Troops, SLDN Also Joins Call for Executive Option

SANTA BARBARA, CA — Harry Reid has called on to sign an suspending the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, according to the magazine.

Referring to the repeal of the ban, Reid told reporter Kerry Eleveld that, “My hope is that it can be done administratively.” Eleveld added that, “A Democratic aide later clarified that Reid was speaking about the possibility of using an to suspend or perhaps halting enforcement of the policy by changing within the .”

As well, the () has called on to sign an . In a letter to the yesterday, wrote that, “ should consider all viable he can take on his own to get rid of this , including issuing a ’stop-loss’ order.” For more than a , has been the largest and most in the country working on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

The idea of ending the ban by gained after the release last month of a Palm Center study showing that the has the authority to suspend “don’t ask, don’t tell” via a . Before that time, many argued that only or the courts could lift the ban on service by openly troops.

Others calling for the to sign an include the page, the Campaign, Out, an of and alumni of the U.S. at , Los Angeles and Center Jean, and former Clinton official .

Palm Aaron said that awareness of the has changed the conversation about “don’t ask, don’t tell” substantially. “ used to duck the issue by blaming for the inertia. Now it’s clear that he has unilateral authority to fulfill his campaign .”

The Palm Center is a research institute at the , Santa Barbara. The Center uses rigorous social to inform of controversial , enabling to be informed more by evidence than by . Its data- approach is premised on the that the public makes wise on when high-quality information is available. For more information, visit www.palmcenter.ucsb.edu.

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Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed with the administration and upheld policy barring and from serving openly in the military.

The court said it will not hear an appeal from former Capt. James II, who was dismissed under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The federal in earlier threw out a lawsuit filed by and 11 other veterans. He was the only member of that group who asked the high court to rule that the Clinton- policy is unconstitutional.

During last year’s campaign, indicated he supported the eventual repeal of the policy, but he has made no specific move to do so since taking office in January. Meanwhile, the White House has said it won’t stop and from being dismissed from the military.

In court papers, the administration said the ruled correctly in this case when it found that “don’t ask, don’t tell” is “rationally related to the government’s in and .”

Bryan referred requests for comment to the , but said the “implements the law.”

“The law requires the (Defense) Department to separate from the armed services who engage in or to engage in acts; state they are or ; or marry or to marry a person of the same biological ,” said in a statement.

A legal vowed to press with efforts to reverse the policy despite the legal .

“We don’t see that at all as for repeal,” said Kevin Nix, for the . “What happened today puts the ball back into the court of and the to repeal the law, and that’s where we think it should be right now.”

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Sarvis: Time is now to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

Saying that lifting the military ban is a matter of urgent , , of the , is calling on to form a panel to study the effect of ending the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and present its findings within 90 to 120 days. Any further delay in overturning law “is a slap in the to the estimated 65,000 and currently serving their country,” writes. CBS News * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

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Advocates give renewed push to lifting military ban

The over the military ban is part of the at , where reportedly are split on whether the policy should be changed, with most not firmly coming down on either side of the issue. In , the , as part of ramping up its campaign to lift the ban, has published an open letter to , seeking to hold him to his campaign to end the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The New York Times (4/30) , Pam’s House Blend (4/28) , The Politico (Washington)/Ben Smith’s blog (4/27) * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

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In Military, New Debate Over Policy Toward Gays

WEST POINT, N.Y. — Here at the that is nearly as old as the nation itself, two recently engaged in a modern : whether they agreed with President Obama’s to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and allow men and to serve openly.

“From what I’ve heard from my , are kind of against it,” said Daniel , a senior from Edmond, Okla. But Adrienne Rolle, a senior from , said she had no problem with lifting the ban, although she said that some of her male did.

are more comfortable with ignorance,” Cadet Rolle said of the reality that men and already serve in the military.

is not a perfect of the , but recent conversations with the who will become the Army’s of leaders reflect uncertainty about what Robert M. Gates has characterized as a “complex and difficult problem.”

While Mr. has promised to get rid of the 16-year-old policy that allows men and to serve only if they keep their secret, Mr. Gates has said that both he and the want to push the issue “down the road a bit.”

have stepped into the vacuum. The , which represents some of the 13,000 men and discharged from the military since the policy took effect, is intensifying lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill — changing the policy requires — and calling on the to make good on his word.

“If he doesn’t speak up, he’s going to end up O.K.’ing the firing of service for being ,” said , the group’s .

In recent years, prominent retired generals and have also urged repeal, among them Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when the policy was adopted after a blowup over the issue in the early days of the .

On the other side, some 1,000 retired officers supported by the Center for Military Readiness sent an “open letter” to Mr. saying they were “greatly concerned” about the impact of repeal on recruitment, morale and unit .

“How would women in the military feel if they were required to accommodate men in their private quarters?” said Elaine Donnelly, the center’s .

Col. Thomas A. Kolditz, the chairman of ’s department of behavioral sciences and who discusses “don’t ask, don’t tell” in his classes, said that were roughly split for and against openly service but that most did not feel strongly about their views.

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