Pentagon to Troops: Don't Come Out
Ed O'Keefe reports:
There is uncertainty about the future of the military's gay ban, the Pentagon's top personnel official said Friday in a memo to senior military leaders. Troops also should not alter their behavior as the policy remains in limbo, the message said.
Despite any uncertainty and confusion regarding the future of the "don't ask, don't tell" law, military leaders must comply with a federal judge's order to cease investigations and discharges of openly gay service members, Defense Undersecretary for Personnel strong>Clifford L. Stanley< said in a memo sent to the secretaries of the military branches.
District Judge Virginia A. Phillips ordered an immediate end to the "don't ask, don't tell" law Tuesday, catching the Obama administration off guard as she rejected government claims that an injunction would impact military readiness.
The Justice Department asked Phillips to stay her injunction Thursday and said it plans to appeal her decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The Pentagon meanwhile vowed to comply with Phillips's injunction.
But Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates blasted the decision, saying an immediate injunction would have "enormous" consequences on the military. He did not provide examples of how the military might suffer, and gay rights groups have asked Gates to clarify his remarks.
Despite Gates's statements, "It remains the policy of the Department of Defense not to ask service members or applicants about their sexual orientation, to treat all members with dignity and respect and to ensure maintenance of good order and discipline," Stanley said.
But, he wrote, "a certain amount of uncertainty now exists about the future of the don't ask, don't tell law and policy."
The memo warns service members not to publicly come out or alter their sexual behavior as the issue remains in legal limbo. Doing so, "may have adverse consequences for themselves or others should the court's decision be reversed," Stanley said.
The Pentagon said Friday that it would not comment further on Stanley's memo.
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