An
upcoming
congressional
hearing
on
the
U.S.
military’s
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
policy,
coupled
with
recent
calls
from
former
military
leaders
to
repeal
the
law,
is
raising
questions
about
whether
the
gay
ban
is
nearing
its
end.
The
congressional
hearing
on
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell,”
scheduled
for
Wednesday,
is
slated
to
feature
witnesses
on
both
sides
of
the
issue.
Witnesses
will
make
their
cases
before
the
personnel
subcommittee
of
the
House
Armed
Services
Committee.
Rep.
Susan
Davis
(D-Calif.),
chair
of
the
subcommittee,
said
she
decided
to
hold
the
hearing
because
Congress
has
not
looked
at
military
policy
toward
gays
in
15
years.
Alastair
Gamble,
29
Arabic
linguist,
Army
Enlisted:
October
2000
Discharged:
August
2002
(Photo
by
Marie
Marzi/AP) |
Alexander
Nicholson,
26
Army
Enlisted:
2001
Discharged:
March
2002
(Photo
by
Charlie
Neibergall/AP) |
Alex
Blais,
22
Army
Enlisted:
June
2004
Discharged:
March
2007
(Photo
courtesy
Blais) |
“Being
in
the
middle
of
the
two
wars,
as
we
have
been,
I
think
the
issue
has
come
up
repeatedly,
and
it’s
important
to
start
that
conversation,”
she
said.
The
hearing
marks
the
first
time
that
Congress
has
held
a
discussion
devoted
to
gays
in
the
military
since
lawmakers
passed
the
law
barring
open
service
in
1993.
Witnesses
that
Democrats
have
selected
to
speak
at
the
hearing
include
Marine
Corps
Staff
Sgt.
Eric
Alva,
who
is
gay
and
the
first
U.S.
service
member
wounded
in
Operation
Iraqi
Freedom.
Alva
lost
his
right
leg
as
a
result
of
his
injury.
Alva
said
he
intends
to
tell
lawmakers
about
his
experience
in
the
Marine
Corps,
how
he
was
injured
on
the
first
day
of
the
Iraq
war
and
how
current
military
policy
shows
that
there
is
“prejudice”
in
the
U.S.
government.
“We’re
allowing
our
prejudice
to
be
put
into
action
by
allowing
this
discriminatory
policy
of
‘Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell’
to
still
exist,
even
in
this
day
and
age,”
he
said.
Alva,
who
left
the
military
in
a
medical
retirement,
said
“it
just
doesn’t
make
sense”
to
discharge
people
who
are
playing
important
roles
in
the
military
because
of
their
sexual
orientation.
Other
witnesses
chosen
by
Democrats
include
retired
Capt.
Joan
Darrah,
a
former
Navy
intelligence
officer
and
lesbian,
and
retired
Army
Maj.
Gen.
Vance
Coleman,
who
is
straight
and
a
decorated
division
commander.
Bleu
Copas,
32
Arabic
linguist,
Army
Enlisted:
post-Sept.
11,
2001
Discharged:
January
2006
(Photo
by
Earl
Neikirk/AP) |
Heather
Sarver,
27
Air
Force
Enlisted:
July
2000
Discharged:
October
2003
(Photo
courtesy
Sarver) |
James
S.
Taylor,
28
Navy
Enlisted:
December
1999
Discharged:
2003
(Photo
courtesy
HRC) |
Republicans
have
selected
Elaine
Donnelly,
president
for
the
Center
for
Military
Readiness
and
opponent
of
gays
serving
openly
in
the
military,
and
retired
Army
Sgt.
Maj.
Brian
Jones,
who
formerly
served
in
special
operations.
No
one
who
has
been
discharged
under
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
is
slated
to
testify
before
Congress.
A
number
of
gay
advocacy
groups,
including
the
Human
Rights
Campaign
and
Parents,
Families
&
Friends
of
Lesbians
&
Gays
(PFLAG),
are
planning
to
submit
written
testimony
to
the
committee.
Davis
said
organizers
had
to
“really
bend
over
backwards”
to
create
what
she
called
“a
balanced
hearing”
with
witnesses
on
both
sides
of
the
issue.
The
subcommittee
asked
the
Defense
Department
(DOD)
to
send
a
representative
to
the
hearing,
but
the
department
declined
to
send
a
witness.
“I
would
have
frankly
liked
to
have
witnesses
from
the
Department
of
Defense,
but
at
this
particular
time
we’re
not
doing
that
and
they’re
really
not
quite
willing
to
come
forward,”
Davis
said.
DOD
did
not
respond
to
a
request
seeking
comment.
Davis
said
the
upcoming
hearing
should
“break
the
ice”
for
involving
DOD
in
future
hearings
on
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell.”
Another
recent
event
drawing
attention
to
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
is
a
recent
discussion
at
the
Aspen
Ideas
Festival
in
which
creators
of
the
law
called
on
the
Pentagon
and
Congress
to
take
another
look
at
the
issue.
Gen.
Colin
Powell,
former
Secretary
of
State
and
chair
of
the
Joint
Chiefs
of
Staff
when
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
was
implemented,
told
the
audience
in
Aspen,
Colo.,
that
“the
country
has
changed
enormously
in
15
years”
and
said
it
was
time
to
“review
the
policy.”
In
his
tenure
as
chair
of
the
Joint
Chiefs
of
Staff,
Powell
was
one
of
the
architects
of
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
and
recommended
the
policy
to
Congress.
