NPR: Obama Says Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Possible

Obama Says Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Possible

While Sen. Hillary Clinton has given numerous interviews with the gay and lesbian press, Sen. Barack Obama has been notably absent. That lead many in the LGBT community to think that Obama had a problem with the community. But last week, Obama sat down for a long interview with The Advocate, a leading LGBT magazine.

Perhaps the most interesting nugget to come out of the interview is that Obama favors repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays, which was instituted during the Clinton administration. But he won't require that his appointees to the Joint Chief of Staff approve of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

"I would never make this a litmus test for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Obviously, there are so many issues that a member of the Joint Chiefs has to deal with, and my paramount obligation is to get the best possible people to keep America safe. But I think there's increasing recognition within the Armed Forces that this is a counterproductive strategy -- ya know, we're spending large sums of money to kick highly qualified gays or lesbians out of our military, some of whom possess specialties like Arab-language capabilities that we desperately need. That doesn't make us more safe, and what I want are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who are making decisions based on what strengthens our military and what is going to make us safer, not ideology."

Obama also says that he interested in repealing the Defense of Marriage Act -- "I think as more states sign civil union bills into law the federal government should be helping to usher in a time when there's full equality in terms of what that means for federal benefits ... I think the federal government historically has led on civil rights -- I'd like to see us lead here too," he told The Avocate.

But he was more circumspect on legislation such as a Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Obama says he's been honest with groups interested in the legislation that it will be a tough fight to get gender identity included in the act.

"We've got some Democrats who are willing to vote for a non-inclusive bill but we lose them on an inclusive bill, and we just may not be able to generate the votes. I don't know. And obviously, my goal would be to get the strongest possible bill -- that's what I'll be working for."

11:37 AM ET | 04-10-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Here we go again. The tide must be coming in. Everyone seems to want a line to be drawn, but the only lines drawn are in sand at the water's edge at low tide. When the tide washes it away we change where the line was drawn. It must indicate that the line doesn't mean much.

Sent by Steve | 2:38 PM ET | 04-10-2008

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