Rep. Gary Peters Statement on End of Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Press Release

Rep. Gary Peters, who served as a Lt. Commander in the US Navy Reserve, today praised the decision by President Obama and military leaders to end the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

"Any patriotic American who wants to serve our country honorably will have just as much right to wear the uniform as I did -- period," said Rep. Gary Peters. "It is fundamentally un-American to ask our troops to lie about who they are. This discriminatory policy forced us to turn away pilots, medics and even Arabic translators at a time when our military is already stretched from multiple conflicts overseas."

Last year, Peters voted to end the prohibition on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, contingent upon certification from the Pentagon and White House that the policy change would not affect the military's ability to fight.

Earlier this month, the heads of the various armed services reported to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta that their troops were prepared to implement the repeal.

On Friday afternoon, President Obama, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, and Panetta took the final step to end the policy, formally certifying that military readiness will not be harmed.

"When I served in the Navy Reserve, I never had any concerns about the sexual orientation of the men and women who served alongside me, and it is past time for this misguided policy to finally come to an end," said Peters.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell is expected to formally end in sixty days.

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