Time's Sullivan Impatient That 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Not Overturned Yet

February 11th, 2009 1:19 PM

Hat-tipping gay blogger Andrew Sullivan, Time's Amy Sullivan (no relation) expressed impatience at the Obama administration for not moving yet on ending the ban on openly gay personnel serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Sullivan is chagrined that a Kansas National Guardsman was reportedly discharged after Army brass discovered her MySpace page in which she declared she is a lesbian.

Here's the February 11 Swampland blog post in full, entitled, "They Didn't Ask, She Didn't Tell, and Yet...":

Does having a MySpace page on which you don't hide the fact that you're a lesbian constitute "telling" the military about your sexual orientation? What about kissing your girlfriend in the checkout line in Wal-Mart? It does if you serve in the Kansas Army National Guard, which recently discharged an Iraq war vet for being a lesbian.

Since "don't ask, don't tell" went into effect in 1993, nearly 12,500 service members have been discharged for being gay, lesbian or bisexual. Three-quarters of Americans think gay members of the military should be able to serve openly. Tell us again why ending the policy has to wait?

(h/t: Andrew (no relation) Sullivan)