Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy Struck Down by U.S. District Court

Filed under: News, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

It's official: the 1993 policy "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which banned openly gay people from serving in the military, has been struck down by a U.S. District Court. In a ruling issued on Thursday, which is expected to be appealed, California Federal District Judge Virginia Phillips applied "immediate scrutiny" to the law, saying: "it must be shown that the law or policy being challenged furthers an important government interest in a way that is substantially related to that interest."


Here's the judge's full ruling. President Barack Obama is already trying to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which was first signed into law by former president Bill Clinton. The Senate is scheduled this month to take up a proposal to overturn Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
I know some people will be mad about this ruling because they oppose anything having to do with homosexuality. But disliking homosexuality from a moral or religous standpoint is one thing. Denying someone the right to earn a living in their chosen career, on the basis of their sexuality, is another thing.

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That's why Don't Ask, Don't Tell always struck me as strange: If someone -- straight or gay -- is willing to die for their country, get paid meager wages, and be separated from their family and friends, who are we to stop them?

What is your opinion on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" being struck down?

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Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. Check out her New York Times best seller 'Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.'

 

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