In his strongest denunciation of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to date, former President Bill Clinton said that ‘Simply put, there is no evidence to support a ban on gays in the military.’ The written statement was made to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network in conjunction with the organization’s End the Witch Hunts national dinner Oct. 4.
President Clinton also said that ‘discrimination is unfair, and it unfairly restricts the talent pool available to the military—and that diminishes our security.’ He also states that ‘If you can serve as a police officer, an FBI agent, or a Member of Congress, there is no reason why you cannot serve as a soldier, sailor, airman or marine.’
Clinton signed the military’s gay ban, known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ into law Nov. 30, 1993, despite a campaign promise to lift the previous ban. See www.sldn.org.
—————————————-