Openly gay Broward County, Florida Commissioner Ken Keechl has helped pass a resolution calling on the Obama Administration to ditch Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Keechl, who pushed for the resolution, received unanimous support from his fellow commissioners.
The resolution, available here, reads in part:
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was introduced in 1993 and provides for the administrative discharge of gay, lesbian or bisexual military service personnel. In recent years, high ranking former and current military officers have urged Congress to repeal this policy, indicating that these men and women would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces. Additionally, public opinion polls have shown that a large majority of Americans favor repealing this policy.
Our gay military service personnel are serving with honor and distinction, having made many sacrifices, including the ultimate sacrifice, in order to provide for the common defense. National security and military readiness will be best served by allowing every willing and able American to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States, without regard to their sexual orientation. This resolution will foster our tenets of equality and justice for all – a commitment that inherently recognizes the rich diversity of our society.
Broward County includes Ft. Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, and Hollywood, Florida.
