Sen Gillibrand co sponsors DADT repeal

This from LET'S GET REAL:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand To Co-Sponsor DADT Repeal

Tagged with: Bill Clinton Colin Powell Don't Ask Don't Tell Harry Reid Huffington Post Kirsten Gillibrand Olympia Snowe Rachel Maddow

Writing today on the Huffington Post in support of Lt Dan Choi, a US Military Academy graduate who was discharged after he came out on the Rachel Maddow show in May, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand pledged to be among the original co-sponsors of the bill to repeal when it’s introduced…

“I am firmly committed to repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. To that end, I am working closely with Congressman Murphy and Senator Kennedy’s offices to develop support for repeal legislation and will be among the original co-sponsors of the bill when it’s introduced.”

The Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, crafted by Gen. Colin Powell was introduced as a compromise measure in 1993 under then President Bill Clinton and prohibits Gay and Lesbian service people from disclosing their sexual orientation.

Gillibrand also promised to help Lt. Choi repair the damage that has been done to his career.

In 2003, Choi graduated from West Point with a degree in Arabic. Since graduating, Lt. Choi has served a deployment in Iraq where he was a combat platoon leader. Choi was the first Arabic-speaking specialist to be dismissed by the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy under the Obama Administration.

Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine may be another co-sponsor for the bill.

“We do not have a DADT bill introduced in the Senate yet, but a number of senators are working on a bipartisan approach to get DADT repealed,” the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement Tuesday. “We would welcome a legislative proposal from the White House on repeal so as to provide clear guidance on what the president would like to see and when. With presidential leadership and direction, I believe we can find the time to get repeal done in this Congress. We need all the troops we can get right now.”