US President Barack Obama is expressing deep disappointment at a Senate vote which could kill off efforts to repeal the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the military. The Senate was three votes short of the 60 needed to press on with annual military spending legislation, including a measure ending the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Obama has admonished a "minority of senators" for blocking the legislation because of their opposition to ending the ban. "As commander in chief, I have pledged to repeal this discriminatory law, a step supported by the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff... A great majority of the American people agree," he said. "This law weakens our national security, diminishes our military readiness and violates fundamental American principles of fairness, integrity and equality." Obama has urged senators to take up the issue again before the end of the year. US Army veteran Aubrey Sarvis, who is executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, has also expressed deep disappointment at the vote. "This continued delay is an outrage against these service members and the more than 14,000 who have already lost their jobs under this discriminatory law." He is urging supporters to protest outside the Senate on Friday, Washington time.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 10th December 2010 - 2:55pm