Finally at the Starting Line?

Shortly after Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin announced he'll soon hold high-stakes hearings on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the top House Democrat on military matters signaled there's still trouble ahead.

Explaining his opposition to repealing the law, House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton pointed on C-SPAN to the U.S. involvement in two major conflicts. "A disruption of this type could very well cause some serious problems," Skelton said on Jan. 17.

Would he oppose moving this year toward getting rid of the 1993 law? "Probably so," Skelton replied.

Pressed further, Skelton didn't budge. Asked whether he would try to persuade House Speaker Nancy Pelosi not to bring up repeal this year, Skelton declared, "Well, it's really up to our committee, as opposed to trying to convince anyone else."

Skelton's resolve certainly will steel the resistance of those in the Pentagon who hope to slow walk the inevitable dismantling of the un-American policy that requires gay soldiers to lie about who they are or get booted out.

The question that will begin to be answered in coming months is whether supporters of scrapping "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" — including President Obama, Levin and Pelosi — will show equal resolve.

Skelton said he's planning only subcommittee hearings on "Don't Ask," under which 13,500 gay soldiers have been discharged, including 65 Arabic and Farsi linguists, at an estimated cost of $363 million.

So the real media spotlight will shine on Levin's higher-level hearings. Significantly, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Jan. 15 that he and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will testify. "We are having continuing conversations inside the building about implementing the president's intent," Gates said at a news conference.

What Gates and Mullen say — and how they say it — will give us a much better idea of how much longer repeal must wait.

Their appearance is hugely significant.

No one from the Pentagon appeared at a House Armed Services personnel subcommittee hearing in the summer of 2008, making it easy to dismiss.

The public says it's ready: A Gallup poll in June found 69 percent of Americans support allowing openly gay men and lesbians to serve. That number includes 67 percent of independents, 58 percent of Republicans and 60 percent of weekly churchgoers.

Meanwhile, a Zogby International poll in 2006 of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans found 73 percent comfortable with the idea of serving with openly gay soldiers. Nearly one in four (23 percent) said they knew for sure someone in their unit was gay.

Other important developments: Advocates in the House, where — unlike in the Senate — there is a repeal bill, are cranking up pressure. They are demanding monthly Pentagon reports on gays being discharged.

"Through these monthly updates, Congress and the public will get a clearer picture of the continued costs and damage to our national security inflicted by this policy," 96 House members said in a December letter to Gates.

Meanwhile, Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., has introduced legislation to allow gays in uniform to testify without fear of triggering discharge proceedings.

"As Congress prepares to debate the future of Don't Ask, Don't Tell ... we must ensure that we hear all sides of the issue and especially from active-duty GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) service members," Hastings stressed.

Gay advocates' impatience is growing with Obama's slow pace. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network placed a full-page ad this month in Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper: "Mr. President, your voice and leadership are needed now," reads the ad, which urges Obama to include repeal in his upcoming defense budget.

Obama has tried to usher in a new era on race relations. Will he likewise put the power of his office behind gays soldiers?

Deb Price of The Detroit News writes the first nationally syndicated column on gay issues. To find out more about Deb Price and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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