Appeals Court OKs Temporary Reinstatement Of Ban On Gays In The Military

Though a federal judge ordered the military to stop enforcing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell last Tuesday, the controversial policy isn’t gone just yet. MSNBC is reporting that a federal appeals court has ruled that the Pentagon is permitted to temporarily reinstate a ban on gays in the military:

A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that the Pentagon may temporarily reinstate a ban on openly gay men and women in uniform while a lengthier stay in favor of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is considered.

The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco added to the disarray surrounding a landmark legal battle that already has forced the U.S. military to welcome openly gay recruits for the first time.

The appeals court instructed lawyers for the gay rights group that brought the lawsuit challenging the policy to file arguments by Monday. The 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule says gays may serve but only if they keep secret their sexual orientation.

A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that the Pentagon may temporarily reinstate a ban on openly gay men and women in uniform while courts consider ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. The government earlier Wednesday said it wanted the 9th Circuit to take action the same day on a federal judge’s ruling that overturned the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays.

The Obama administration says it is in favor of repealing the law. However, the government says that letting the ruling of U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips go forward immediately would be a major problem for the military.

Read the rest at MSNBC.com.