Federal judge ends ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

A federal judge on Tuesday ended "don't ask, don't tell", after months of political debate over the topic, according to an Associated Press report.

Virginia Phillips, U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California, ruled the nearly 20-year-old law banning openly gay men and women from serving in the armed forces was unconstitutional, issuing a global injunction against the Clinton-era mandate. Phillips said the ban violates due process, freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The Justice Department, which is reviewing Phillips' decision, could appeal. President Obama, who supports overturning the ban, repeatedly has said it is up to Congress to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." The Pentagon's top military brass also supports a repeal of the ban. Phillips rejected the argument that the law has an adverse effect on military readiness or soldiers serving in wartime.