By Lisa Keen on November 17, 2010
A key supporter of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is poised to deal the legislation a significant setback. Sen. Carl Levin, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of repeal, said he will hold hearings on the upcoming Pentagon study about implementation of repeal.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 15, 2010
When Congress came back to begin its lame-duck session on Monday, it was suddenly hearing mixed messages from LGBT groups concerning repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 12, 2010
In a move that did not catch anyone by surprise, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday denied a request from attorneys for Log Cabin Republicans to vacate an order that enabled the military to continue enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Lawsuits, News, U.S. Supreme Court
By Lisa Keen on November 11, 2010
A 370-page Pentagon study on implementing repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell will report December 1 that repeal poses only minimal risk to current war efforts, according to an article posted Wednesday night in the Washington Post.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 7, 2010
Four days after President Obama said there will be enough time, “potentially,” to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” during the lame-duck Congress, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters that he is “not sure” what the prospects are for repealing it this year.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on November 1, 2010
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Monday granted the government’s request to permanently delay enforcement of a lower court order to stop enforcement of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT).
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on October 20, 2010
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Wednesday night stopped the enforcement of a federal district court judge’s order that the military stop enforcing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, U.S. Circuit Courts
By Lisa Keen on October 12, 2010
A federal judge in California Tuesday issued an order to put an “immediate” and global halt to all discharges and investigations under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News
By Lisa Keen on September 24, 2010
For the second time this month, a federal judge has ruled Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell violates the federal constitution.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News
By Lisa Keen on September 21, 2010
The Senate rejected a motion to break a Republican-led filibuster against an annual defense spending bill that includes language aimed at ending the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law banning gays. The vote was 56 to 43.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on September 15, 2010
Vice President Joe Biden said Democrats in the Senate have the votes not only to pass the measure to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” but also to thwart any attempt by Republicans to defeat the measure through some other tactic.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on September 14, 2010
At first glance, it might draw a yawn: Elena Kagan, the U.S. Supreme Court’s newest member, has recused herself from some upcoming cases. But ruminate for a few minutes over this list of cases that could be before the court within a few years.
Posted in A closer look, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, U.S. Supreme Court
By Lisa Keen on September 14, 2010
The story of Air Force Reserve Major Margaret Witt has some drama to it and that drama may well be trotted out this week as a U.S. District Court judge hears the lawsuit challenging her discharge under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News
By Lisa Keen on September 13, 2010
A Senate Democratic leadership aide said Monday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would bring the defense spending bill with the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal measure to the floor next week.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on September 10, 2010
A U.S. District Court judge in California Thursday declared the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy unconstitutional, saying it violates both the First and Fifth Amendments.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News
By Lisa Keen on July 14, 2010
While most people who are concerned about eliminating the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law are focused on a bill in Congress and a survey by the Pentagon, there is important action elsewhere—in a federal district court in Riverside, California.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Lawsuits, News
By Lisa Keen on June 30, 2010
Never before in the history of Supreme Court confirmation hearings have gay issues played such a prominent role.
Posted in Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, News, Nominees, U.S. Supreme Court
By Dana Rudolph on June 29, 2010
The immediate replacement for U.S. Senator Robert Byrd will most likely be chosen by the governor, not by a special election—and that is good news for the chances of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, National Politics, News, Politics
By Lisa Keen on June 22, 2010
It’s been clear since Elena Kagan was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court that her confirmation hearing would be unusually focused on things gay.
First, there were the complaints that she barred military recruiters from Harvard Law School while she was dean. Then, came rumors that she herself is gay. And finally, there has been a generalized fear expressed by right-wing groups that she’s liberal enough to reverse the Defense of Marriage Act.
But there’s surprisingly little support for any of these assumptions in the thousands of emails, memoranda, and other documents submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee from the archives of the Clinton White House.
Posted in A closer look, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Federal Courts, Issues, Law, Marriage/Relationships, News, U.S. Supreme Court
By Lisa Keen on June 7, 2010
Republicans are reportedly scouring for filibuster votes against the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal and are expected to focus their efforts on winning over Democrats Jim Webb of Virginia and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Posted in Congress, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Issues, News, Politics