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"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has been the motto of the US military since 1993, which has caused an estimated dismissal of between 10,000-13,000 service members, many of whom were working in areas of "critical operations" such as translation and intelligence, according to Log Cabin Republicans, a group who advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians.What happens to the strength of a military when over 38% of its intelligence staff is let go due to their sexual orientation?
While efforts to overturn this policy have existed for some time, the recent decision by federal judge, Virgina A. Phillips to deem "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as a violation of the 1st amendment rights of service member on Oct 12, 2010, has caused many to wonder if this is temporary and if they do come out and this ruling is overturned, will they be protected. At the moment no one is sure.
Celebrities such as Lady Gaga have used their public position to raise awareness on this issue and discharged service members such as Dan Choi have become the faces of the campaign to overturn "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and since the Oct 12th ruling he publicly tried to reenlist.
To learn more about Log Cabin Republicans stance on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": http://online.logcabin.org/issues/gays_military.html