Time to Put a Fork in 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

This weekend, in an address to the Human Rights Campaign, President Obama affirmed his campaign promise of overturning the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, promising, "I will end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'" One thing, though, was still missing: a date.

"Progress may be taking longer than you'd like," the president said, in a nod to those who hoped that he would use Saturday's speech to start setting a timetable. "Do not doubt the destination we are heading."

But, without a deadline or even a loose time line, the promises echo those of Bill Clinton, who also vowed to repeal the ban on gays and lesbians in the military, only to later enact "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as a compromise with Congress.

The policy has hit women in the military especially hard. Last week, statistics on members of the military discharged under the ban showed that, though women accounted for just 15 percent of the armed forces, they made up more than a third of last year's discharges for sexual orientation. In 2007, the statistics were similar, with women making up 14 percent of the armed forces and 46 percent of discharges.

The military benefits from having career officers, especially in terms of retaining seasoned soldiers. But, to ask men and women to build careers in the military without offering even a basic non-discrimination policy is disingenuous. Setting a date would be an act of good faith toward the members of the military who continue to re-enlist, despite the lack of employee protection.

Of course, the power to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is in the hands of the Congress, and whether there's enough support there right now to overturn the ban is questionable. If the president did set a deadline, it's just as likely that it wouldn't be met. He should do it anyway. Setting a date would push the debate to be held in legislative, not rhetorical, terms. It would press members of Congress who avoid the issue to take a stand. Even more importantly, it would show that the White House is serious when it says it's committed to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."