Army To Gays: You Can Still Be Fired For Being Honest

Army Secretary John McHugh warned soldiers they can still be dismissed for saying they’re gay.  McHugh said he misspoke earlier in the week when he said the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy was no longer in effect.

The Pentagon has said it wants to hear from gay troops as it conducts a broad study on how it could lift the ban, as President Barack Obama wants.

But to do that, gay service members would have to break the law, which prohibits them from discussing their sexual orientation.

Defense Department officials say they plan to hire an outside contractor to survey the troops, and that gay troops won’t be punished for sharing their views with that third party.

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While the ban remains intact, the Pentagon has made it tougher to get discharged under the law. Earlier this month, [Defense Secretary Robert] Gates announced new guidelines that tighten the rules for evidence when someone reports that a soldier is gay and puts higher-ranking officers in charge of dismissal proceedings.

Thirteen thousand service members have been dismissed under the “don’t ask don’t tell” rule.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.