Good news here. From the Maddowblog:
A U.S. District judge in California has ruled that the ban on gay people serving openly in the military is unconstitutional. The case, by Log Cabin Republicans, included testimony from Air Force Major Mike Almy and others about the hardships they faced under Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
Judge Phillips stayed her own ruling to give the government time to appeal. The full opinion's here (pdf).
And here's more from Laffy who got a h/t for alerting the Maddowblog to the story.
A federal judge in Riverside declared the U.S. military’s ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional Thursday, saying the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy violates the 1st Amendment rights of lesbians and gay men.
U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips said the policy banning gays did not preserve military readiness, contrary to what many supporters have argued, saying evidence shows that the policy in fact had a “direct and deleterious effect’’ on the military.
Phillips issued an injunction barring the government from enforcing the policy. However, the U.S. Department of Justice, which defended “don’t ask, don’t tell” during a two-week trial in Riverside, will have an opportunity to appeal that decision.
