Los Angeles has become the ninth major city to call for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" the ban on gays serving openly in the military.
In a unanimous vote this week city council approved a resolution calling on Congress to pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the legislation that would end the ban signed into law during the Clinton administration. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act currently has 136 cosponsors from both parties.
Since the ban became law in 1993 more than 12,000 servicemembers have been dismissed under DADT. 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.
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.
In addition to Los Angeles city councils in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tucson, West Hollywood, CA, and Cathedral City, CA, in calling for repeal of DADT. The California State Legislature also recently approved a resolution calling for an end to the ban.
In a unanimous vote this week city council approved a resolution calling on Congress to pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the legislation that would end the ban signed into law during the Clinton administration. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act currently has 136 cosponsors from both parties.
Since the ban became law in 1993 more than 12,000 servicemembers have been dismissed under DADT. 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.
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.
In addition to Los Angeles city councils in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tucson, West Hollywood, CA, and Cathedral City, CA, in calling for repeal of DADT. The California State Legislature also recently approved a resolution calling for an end to the ban.
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