Legislators criticize military ban on gays News
Legislators criticize military ban on gays

[JURIST] Citing a Government Accountability Office [official website] study, several lawmakers Thursday called for an end to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding homosexuals. The report [PDF], released Wednesday, indicated that the policy has hurt recruiting and retainment as the war in Iraq has drained resources. Specifically, the report stated that the Department of Defense [official website] spent more than $191 million to replace over 10,000 service members who had been discharged under the policy. The 12-year-old policy prohibits military officials from inquiring about sexual orientation, but allows discharge of service members if they are discovered to be gay. The Los Angeles Times has more.