WASHINGTON - June 30 - During Thursday's White House press briefing, Press Secretary Tony Snow said the Bush Administration's position on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the law barring lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans from the armed forces, is "well-established." When asked about the law, Snow first stated "I will defer all questions about military personnel policies to the Department of Defense." Snow's comments marked the first time the White House has commented about the Clinton- era law since Bush assumed power in 2001.

The Department of Defense has indicated that it defers to Congress, recently telling the New York Times that "the law would need to be changed to affect the department's policy." Some Members of Congress, in turn, have called on the Department of Defense to take the lead. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently noted that "military leaders support the ban," indicating he would support a change only if deemed appropriate by the armed forces.

"This is the keystone cops approach to leadership," said C. Dixon Osburn, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). "Our men and women in uniform deserve better."

According to the Urban Institute, there are 1 million lesbian and gay veterans in the United States. Since 1993, more than 11,000 men and women have been dismissed under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," including more than 800 with skills deemed 'mission- critical' by the Pentagon.

"When will the White House stand up for gay Americans who sacrifice so much for our country?," asked Osburn. "The Pentagon needs troops, and there are thousands of gays and lesbians willing to serve. Since the ban on gay personnel went into law, America and the military have changed. Both are ready to move on and end this federal discrimination against gay Americans. It is time for our commander-in-chief, who is out of step with the majority of Americans on this issue, to show real leadership and call for an end to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"

In March 2005, Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA) introduced legislation to repeal the law; 117 Members of Congress are co- sponsors of the measure.

For more information on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," visit http://www.sldn.org.

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