Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates implored Congress to lift the widely unpopular Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy before it could be lifted by federal courts. A federal judge has already ordered the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military to be lifted, but her order is on hold while the decision is appealed. Now, the Service Members Legal Defense Network has helped three more former service members discharged under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to sue the government over their firings.

A repeal of the policy failed in a procedural debacle on the Senate floor last week, but Sens. Susan Collins and Joe Lieberman have introduced a stand-alone repeal bill in hopes that the Senate will pass it before it leaves for the holidays. Michael Almy, one of the plaintiffs in the new lawsuit, told the Guardian he hoped senators would take a good look at their priorities:

Almy, a decorated officer who was in the Senate chambers last week when Republicans refused to let the repeal measure advance, said he still hopes lawmakers can be persuaded to take up the standalone bill, even if it means postponing their holidays.

Almy is the son of an air force officer who did not know he was gay. He was discharged in 2005 after another member of the air force searched his computer files and found a private email Almy had written to another man when he was in Iraq. His 13-year career ended with him being given a police escort off the base.

"I spent four Christmases deployed in the Middle East," he said. "If we can make that kind of sacrifice for our nation, certainly our senators can give up a Christmas to get this done."