The Don’t Ask…Don’t Tell Policy of the military has struck again but this time a judge is not buying it. A federal judge has ordered that Major Margret Witt be reinstated back into the Air Force with her full rights. This comes after her dismal from the military due to the governments “don’t ask don’t tell” policy.
Major Witt was a 20 year flight nurse with an impeccable record and was a year from retiring when she was honorably discharged in 2007.
The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy enacted in 1993 prevents gay men and lesbians from openly serving in the military and bars officials from inquiring into a service member’s sexuality. Maj. Witt, at the time of her dismal, was having a lesbian affair with a civilian. A spokesman for the Air force states that “Witt’s discharge was fully consistent with the law”.
The Air Force is disappointed in the ruling but holds hope of an appellate court understanding and siding with them for the betterment of the military interests.
“The application of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ to Major Margaret Witt does not significantly further the government’s interest in promoting military readiness, unit morale and cohesion,” he [Judge Leighton] wrote.
The debate of the don’t ask, don’t tell policy is an ongoing debate. Just this week the Senate temporarily set aside any discussions of repealing this legislation, but for now Maj. Witt has won a slight victory!
President Barack Obama is pushing for a repeal of the controversial policy. A bill that would overturn the measure after a Pentagon review is completed in December is currently before Congress.
More than 12,500 gays have been booted from the military since “don’t ask, don’t tell” went into effect.
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