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by Former President Clinton Text of Clinton Letter to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network On 10th Anniversary of Ban He Says It Diminishes U.S. Security Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
Since then, Clinton says, "Our nation as a whole has moved significantly . . . toward recognizing the full citizenship of gay Americans." He also urges Americans to "keep striving for the time when serving in our military is an honor open to everyone regardless of sexual orientation." The former president also points to the experiences of foreign allies who have lifted their bans without incident: "We should learn, too, from some of our most effective military allies, like Great Britain and Israel," he says. "Great Britain lifted its ban on gays after our debate in 1993, and over the past year, I did not see any of the critics of gays in the military here in America asking the British to stay out of Afghanistan or Iraq." SLDN Executive Director C. Dixon Osburn welcomed Clinton's remarks: "President Clinton, along with the overwhelming majority of Americans, recognizes that the service of lesbian and gay Americans is in our nation's best interest. Military leaders, elected officials and now a former Commander-in-Chief have all questioned the rationale behind 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' Congress should heed their calls and repeal this law now. A decade of federally sanctioned discrimination is a decade too long." Text of President Clinton's Letter to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Dear Friends: When I was first asked the question about gays in the military before I became President, I believed that gays should be allowed to serve openly. If you can serve as a police officer, an FBI agent, or a Member of Congress, there is no reason why you cannot serve as a soldier, sailor, airman or marine. It was my view then, and now, that discrimination is unfair, and it unfairly restricts the talent pool available to the military - and that diminishes our security. When I proposed lifting the ban on gays in the military, I met strong political opposition. In fact, the Senate voted against my policy with a veto-proof majority. The opposition in the House was even stronger. Congress already codified the ban, which until then had existed only in military regulations. So that's how we got to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Over the years, my Administration worked with the Department of Defense and Congress to try to improve the policy. The intent was to ensure that gay service members could lead private lives without fear of being discharged or harassed. Indeed, Secretary of Defense William Cohen made great progress in trying to implement programs to curb harassment during my Administration. However, as I said four years ago, it is clear that the policy, as implemented, is not working. The Pentagon has discharged almost 9,000 service members since "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was implemented, and 115,000 since World War II. There have also been thousands of cases of harassment. Recently, the Army discharged seven Arabic linguists for being gay even though the need for linguists to translate intercepts and interrogate potential terrorists is urgent and severe. Moreover, when we need every dollar we can get for more security, taxpayers spend more than $30 million dollars every year just to train replacements for the gay service members expelled. Simply put, there is no evident to support a ban on gays in the military. From the pages of history down to the present time, we know that gay people have served with great heroism in military units. We should learn, to, from some of our most effective military allies, like Great Britain and Israel, who do not discriminate against gays and lesbians. Thirteen of our allies during Operation Enduring Freedom do not ban gays. Great Britain lifted its ban on gays after our debate in 1993, and over the past year, I did not see any of the critics of gays in the military here in America asking the British to stay out of Afghanistan or Iraq. Our nation as a whole has moved significantly in the past decade toward recognizing the full citizenship of gay Americans. The recent Supreme Court decision striking down the Texas sodomy statute was a very positive development. Corporations and local and state governments also are taking steps to ensure equal rights. The federal government still needs to enact the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, and to lift the ban on military service. I have faith that, in time, change will come. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice." It remains our task to work for justice, to convince more of our fellow citizens how the cause of justice for gay Americans can best be served, and to keep striving for the time when serving in our military is an honor open to everyone regardless of sexual orientation. Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts with you.
Sincerely, |
10 years after his administration put into place the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, former President Bill Clinton now says gays should be able to serve in the military with no restrictions