Log Cabin GOP Pushes SCOTUS on DADT
The Huffington Post reports:
SAN FRANCISCO — A Republican gay rights group on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow a California trial judge's order barring enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military to go back into effect.
Lawyers for Log Cabin Republicans asked the high court to vacate a 2-1 decision Monday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals keeping "don't ask, don't tell" in place until it considers the government's appeal of the judge's decision declaring the policy unconstitutional.
The Log Cabin group argued that the 9th Circuit panel abused its discretion when it blocked U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips' order requiring the armed forces to allow openly gay Americans to enlist and serve.
It said the divided panel erred in accepting the Pentagon's claim that it needed more time to develop procedures for integrating gay service members and "gave no consideration whatsoever to the injury that will befall" while "don't ask, don't tell" is in place.
"Unless the court of appeals stay is vacated, the respondents will be free to continue to investigate and discharge American service members for no reason other than their homosexuality, in violation of their due process and First Amendment rights," the group's lawyers wrote.
