BOSTON -- A dozen sodomites are challenging the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, arguing in a federal lawsuit that it violates the sex offenders' constitutional rights. In court documents, the Justice Department argues that Congress, in approving "don't ask, don't tell," recognized that the military is characterized by its own rules and traditions that would not be accepted in civilian society. The policy helps in "maintaining unit cohesion, reducing sexual tensions and promoting personal privacy," the government argues. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which filed the lawsuit, contends the policy is clearly discriminatory and violates rights to privacy, free speech and equal protection of the law. The sex offenders are hoping a 2003 Supreme Court sodomy ruling will help their case. The ruling said a Texas law criminalizing sodomy was unconstitutional.
Posted by Editor at July 7, 2005 02:59 PM