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Gays in Military: Lawyers advise wait to lift ban
Posted: Jan 14, 2010 7:49 AM by Associated Press
The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is getting conflicting advice about lifting the 1993 ban on gays in the military.
In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the in-house legal counsel for Admiral Mike Mullen wrote that "now is not the time" to lift the ban. The memo noted the stress on the military during wartime.
The legal advisers recommended delaying the start of the repeal process for a year, meaning it wouldn't be repealed until 2012.
Two U.S. officials, however, say other Pentagon advisers believe lifting the ban wouldn't cause unmanageable problems.
Mullen's spokesman says there's been no decision among the Joint Chiefs about what to do or when.
President Barack Obama made allowing gays to serve openly in the military one of his campaign promises.
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