Retired top military leaders call for end to gay ban

On the 14th anniversary of the signing of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," 28 retired, high-ranking military leaders have joined the call to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces. That brings to over 60 the number of high-ranking former officers who have endorsed a call for repeal by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili in January. "We support the recent comments of … former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General John Shalikashvili, who has concluded that repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy would not harm, and would indeed help, our armed forces," the letter from the 28 to members of Congress states. "Those of us signing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish" the retired generals and admirals said, noting that it is estimated there are 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serve in the American armed forces and that there are more than one million gay veterans. "They have served our nation honorably," the letter states. "This morning's letter is a wake-up call to Congress, the president and the American people," Steve Ralls, spokesperson for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network told 365Gay.com. "Our nation has never needed the talents and skills of patriotic gay Americans more than now, and our community should support these Generals and call on Congress to heed their advice and lift this ban," said Ralls. The full letter will be read at a special three-day observance marking the signing of the ban beginning today on the National Mall. Called "12,000 Flags for 12,000 Patriots" it will pay tribute to the 12,000 men and women drummed out of the armed forces under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". The event is sponsored by SLDN, the Human Rights Campaign, Servicemembers United (formerly Call to Duty), Log Cabin Republicans, and Liberty Education Forum. Twelve-thousand flags line the mall to recognizing the 12,000 servicemembers discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the event will also serve as a reminder of the hundreds of thousands unrecognized LGBT Americans who paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives throughout our country's history to defend freedom the organizers said. According to statistics from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network which advocates for gays in the military an average of two service members are dismissed under the law every day. A report prepared by the Government Accountability Office shows that nearly 800 people with skills deemed 'mission-critical' by the Pentagon have been dismissed under the law, including more than 322 language experts, at least 58 of whom specialized in Arabic. The GAO said that DADT has cost American taxpayers more than $364 million since it was implemented. The number of gays and lesbians who have attempted to enlist and rejected because they said they were gay is not known. A study conducted last year for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network concluded that the U.S. military could attract as many as 41,000 new recruits if gays and lesbians in the military were able to be open about their sexual orientation. A Zogby poll taken in 2006 showed three-out-of-four members of the military who are serving in Iraq or recently returned home don't care if someone in their unit is gay. A bill that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is currently before Congress and has 136 sponsors. The Democratic presidential contenders all support repealing DADT while Republican candidates support maintaining it. On Nov. 27 the question came up at the Republican Presidential Debate when retired Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr of Santa Rosa, Calif., asked the candidates about their views on gays in the military. The GOP later cried foul when it was learned Kerr, who is gay, also serves on an LGBT steering committee for Hillary Clinton. CNN, which organized the debate said had it known Kerr was connected to Clinton it would not have allowed the question. The issue was subsequently removed from the debate when the program was re-aired on the network.