A federal judge in California today ordered the military to immediately stop enforcing the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. The Obama Administration has 60 days to appeal the ruling.

Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way, said:

“It’s about time. For seventeen years, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has prevented thousands of patriotic and able Americans from serving our country in the military. The vast majority of Americans want to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, and so do our military’s leaders. The only thing keeping Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell from the dustbin of discriminatory and failed policies has been the uncompromising anti-gay agenda of the minority party in Congress. It doesn’t take a constitutional scholar to know that firing someone for who they are is wrong. I urge the president and Congress to listen to the voices of the American people, military leaders, and the rulings of two federal judges, and end this policy once and for all.”

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