Shalikashvili Says Let Homosexuals Serve

Retired Army Gen. John Shalikashvili, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, says it’s time to let homosexuals and lesbians serve openly in the armed forces. Gen. Shalikashvili, said he originally supported the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it was instituted in 1993, but now believes circumstances have changed to the point that the policy should be reversed. He went on record as saying, “I now believe that if gay men and lesbians served openly in the United States military, they would not undermine the efficacy of the armed forces.” He added that the armed forces have been stretched thin by deployments in the Middle East, thus we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job.