By Lisa Keen on October 27, 2011
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund filed suit in a federal district court Thursday (October 27) challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act and its use in denying to gay service members spousal benefits equal to that given to their straight counterparts.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Law, Lawsuits, Marriage/Relationships, U.S. District Courts
By Dana Rudolph on September 21, 2011
When repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” goes into effect September 20, children of gay servicemembers will reap many benefits. But they will still lack many of the protections available to children with opposite-sex parents because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, National Politics
By Lisa Keen on September 5, 2011
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be off the books September 20. But there is still concern among some that the removal of that specific law barring gays from the military will not stop discrimination against gays in the military.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, News
By Lisa Keen on July 24, 2011
President Obama, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen signed and submitted a one-page written certification to Congress Friday afternoon (July 22) that the military is ready to implement repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, Law, News
By Lisa Keen on July 15, 2011
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals granted an emergency order Friday night (July 15) temporarily reinstating its original stay of an order that had prohibited the government from enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on July 7, 2011
A 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel on Wednesday issued an order that the Defense Department stop enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and the Pentagon quickly announced that it will comply.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on May 26, 2011
The U.S. House on Thursday, May 26, passed the House Armed Services Committee authorization bill that includes three amendments aimed at delaying implementation of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and shoring up the impact of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, Marriage/Relationships, Politics
By Lisa Keen on May 12, 2011
The full U.S. House Armed Services Committee approved three amendments late Wednesday night that seek to delay implementation of repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and to reiterate Congress’s support for the Defense of Marriage Act.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on April 1, 2011
Pentagon officials told a House subcommittee Friday that training for implementation of repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has gone “extremely well so far” and that certification to Congress might come by mid-summer.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on January 30, 2011
Reaction has been mixed to the Pentagon’s status report Friday, January 28, saying training to prepare for implementation of the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell could begin as early as next month.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law
By Lisa Keen on January 25, 2011
Tuesday 10:15pm EDT edition – President Obama once again brought up the issue of gays in the military during his annual State of the Union address.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on December 22, 2010
Following a dramatic and eloquent speech, President Obama Wednesday morning signed the legislation that will launch the repeal of a 17-year-old law that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics, White House
By Lisa Keen on December 18, 2010
The U.S. Senate approved a bill Saturday, December 18, to repeal the 17-year-old law banning openly gay people from serving in the military. The roll call vote on the measure, which came to the Senate Wednesday from the House, was 65 to 31.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 15, 2010
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday afternoon to approve a measure to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the second time this year the House approved such a measure.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 13, 2010
Activists pushing for repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell delivered on a threat Monday and filed a third lawsuit aimed at having the courts strike the military’s ban on openly gay people.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News
By Lisa Keen on December 9, 2010
Thu. Dec. 9 – 4:10 p.m.—The Senate has just rejected an attempt to bring the defense authorization bill to the floor, effectively killing the prospects for repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell this year, and likely for years to come. The vote was 57 to 40.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 8, 2010
All the focus was on Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins Wednesday, with the question being whether she could be persuaded to vote to end the Republican-led filibuster against the defense authorization bill.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 6, 2010
The second and final day of the Senate hearing on repealing “Don’t ask, don’t tell” has adjourned and the battle lines are still very much where they were at the beginning, with one exception.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on December 2, 2010
The Pentagon’s top four leaders stood their ground Thursday during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Defense Department’s report concerning Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal. But there was considerable pushback from Republicans on the committee—and not just John McCain.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 30, 2010
Defense Secretary Robert Gates sent mixed signals Tuesday, in releasing the Pentagon’s long-awaited study about how to implement repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He said repeal “can and should be done,” but he urged Congress to consider the views of all-male combat units who expressed concern about negative consequences.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
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