EDITORIAL: Don't slow pace of Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal

The recent House vote to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the U.S. military has made top military officials apprehensive about the pace of change. But after 17 years of officially sanctioned discrimination, Don't Ask Don't Tell should be repealed sooner, rather than later.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, who both support repeal, want Congress to delay voting on it until the Pentagon completes its review of how to make the change work.

Managing the politics and logistics of repeal won't be easy. And defusing opposition will be even tougher if it appears that Congress doesn't care about service members' concerns. But the House bill, and an amendment teed up for the Senate, each stipulate that repeal wouldn't become law until after the Pentagon study is completed in December, and only if the president, defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs certify that it won't compromise the military's ability to fight. So there will be time to deal with the many tough implementation issues like housing, survivors' benefits and the patchwork of state laws covering same-sex couples.

The decision in Congress to move on repeal now was no doubt influenced by the election calendar - gay voters are frustrated by the sluggish pace. But military people being discriminated against have already waited too long for others to get comfortable with equal protection of their rights. hN