The Supreme Court on Friday denied a request to lift the Pentagon’s ban that prevents openly gay men and women from serving in the military, rejecting a request by a gay rights group.
The high court denied the request by the Log Cabin Republicans that sought to lift an order permitting the Pentagon to continue enforcing its “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
That policy, adopted in 1993, requires homosexual soldiers to keep their sexual orientation private. President Barack Obama has sought to lift the policy but has said he wanted Congress to do it rather than the courts.
The Log Cabin Republicans had won a district court ruling last month that found the policy was unconstitutional and barred the military from enforcing it. The Obama administration appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and won permission to continue enforcing it while that court reviewed the case.
Full story: Supreme court declines ban to lift military ban on gays