Judge denies stay of order to halt enforcement of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy

U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips today refused to grant the government’s request to stay her order to halt enforcement of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy banning openly lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. Phillips ruled the policy unconstitutional last month.

Today’s judicial action occurred just hours after the United States military began allowing its recruiters to accept openly lesbian, gay and bisexual applicants. More on that story here.

As for Phillips’ ruling today, Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey had this to say:

Judge Phillips again rejected the government’s bunk that it’s necessary this discriminatory policy remain in effect any longer. She and the overwhelming majority of Americans have rightly concluded it’s time to make ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ a policy of the past. Our elected officials have diddled around and played the delay game as the careers of thousands of courageous, patriotic service members have been destroyed. Phillips said enough is enough, and we couldn’t agree more.