Homosexuals To Serve Openly In The Military

Don't ask, don't tell: don't want it.

That was the message delivered Tuesday by Admiral MIKE MULLEN, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, regarding a policy that forbids gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mullen admitted being disturbed by, quote, "a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens."

With Defense Secretary ROBERT GATES by his side, Mullen expressed the wishes of the OBAMA administration to begin a year-long study looking into how "don't ask, don't tell" can be repealed with a minimum of disruption to the armed forces.

If the 17-year-old policy is overturned, military observers said it would be the most significant change in Pentagon policy since 1948, when the military was ordered integrated by then-President HARRY TRUMAN.

It will take an act of Congress to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," the policy that allows gays and lesbians to join the military as long as they keep their sexual orientation under wraps. Admitting their homosexuality is grounds for discharge, as has happened to thousands of enlisted personnel since the policy was enacted.

President Obama promised during his campaign for the White House to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," finally announcing his intentions to do away with it during last week's State of the Union address.

While Democrats are seemingly behind the president, Republicans contend that the policy, while imperfect, has been mostly effective and that repealing it now would create havoc within the military, especially when there are two wars to fight.