Military Leaders for Repeal
Our nation’s military leaders spoke out in favor of repeal of DADT.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates:
"I fully support the president’s decision. The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change but how we must - how we best prepare for it." (Testimony Regarding the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" Law, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen:
"[I]t is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me personally, it comes down to integrity - theirs as individuals and ours as an institution. I also believe that the great young men and women of our military can and would accommodate such a change. I never underestimate their ability to adapt." (Testimony Regarding the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" Law, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Colin Powell:
"In the almost 17 years since the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed. I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen." (Powell Favors Repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," New York Times)
Former Vice President and former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney:
"I think the society has moved on. I think it's partly a generational question. I say, I'm reluctant to second-guess the military in this regard, because they're the ones that have got to make the judgment about how these policies affect the military capability of our - of our units . When the chiefs come forward and say, 'We think we can do it,' then it strikes me that it's - it's time to reconsider the policy." (Reconsider "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Cheney Says, ABC News)
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Shalikashvili:
"Tradition is a critical military value, and the armed forces have a long-standing tradition of banning gay men and lesbians. Equally important military traditions, however, are learning and adapting - and my colleagues made claims as if no new knowledge has been acquired over past decades, during which time Israel and Britain joined more than 20 other nations to allow openly gay individuals to serve without overall problems." (Gays in the Military: Let the Evidence Speak, Washington Post)
"As a nation built on the principal of equality, we should recognize and welcome change that will build a stronger, more cohesive military. It is time to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and allow our military leaders to create policy that holds our service members to a single standard of conduct and discipline." (Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Tells Military Leadership "It Is Time" to Lift Gay Ban, PR Newswire)
National Security Adviser, Gen. Jim Jones:
"[the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy] has to evolve with the social norms I think times have changed. [T]he young men and women who wish to serve their country should not have to lie in order to do that." ("State of the Union," CNN, Feb. 14, 2010)
Letter Signed by 104 Retired Generals and Admirals, Including Adm. Charles Larson, former Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy:
"As is the case with Great Britain, Israel and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion and sexuality. Such collaboration reflects the strength and the best traditions of our democracy." (104 Generals and Admirals: Gay Ban Must End, Palm Center)
Former Secretary of the Army, Clifford Alexander:
"The policy is an absurdity and borderline on being an obscenity. What it does is cause people to ask of themselves that they lie to themselves, that they pretend to be something that they are not. There is no empirical evidence that would indicate that it affects military cohesion. There is a lot of evidence to say that the biases of the past have been layered onto the United States Army." (Former Army Secretary Clifford Alexander Calls on President Obama & Congress to Repeal Military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" Policy, Democracy Now)