Federal Appeals Court Extends Ban On ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
A federal appeals court has indefinitely extended its freeze on a judge’s order halting enforcement of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday granted the government’s request for a stay while it challenges the trial court’s ruling that the ban on openly gay service members is unconstitutional.
The same panel imposed a temporary hold keeping “don’t ask, don’t tell” in place last week.
Monday’s decision means gay Americans who disclose their sexual orientations still can’t enlist in the armed forces and can be discharged.
It also heightens pressure on the Obama administration to persuade the U.S. Senate to repeal the 1993 law before a new Congress is sworn in.
