Washington, DC – Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, released the following statement urging Senate approval of a bill he has co-sponsored to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’.
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell denies Americans one of their most basic civil rights. Discharging a valuable, well-performing service member on the basis of sexual orientation is not only wrong; it undermines our national security and flies in the face of our national values.
“We don’t tolerate this kind of discrimination in the private sector, and should not do so in our Armed Forces either. Our military leaders say we should move forward with repeal, and the American people agree. Yet now, once again, the Senate is slow to answer the call. It’s time for the Senate to get out of the way, just as it eventually – and rightly – did during the Civil Rights Era.
“I urge my colleagues who are on the fence to gaze around the corner – where our nation is headed – towards tolerance and inclusion. It’s time to stop denying brave and patriotic Americans the opportunity to serve their country and repeal this backward-looking policy without delay.”