Pentagon to unveil new policy for gays in the military

Media reports are circulating that the Pentagon is poised to unveil new details on the way forward for handling discharges under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

According to The Hill newspaper, the Defense Department plans to make public next week a new plan to implement the 1993 law banning gays from serving openly in the U.S. military.

“The Department leadership is actively working on an implementation plan and will have more to say about it next week,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell was quoted as saying.

In his State of the Union address on Wednesday, President Obama pledged to work this year with Congress and military leaders to fulfill his campaign promise to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Activists have been pressuring President Obama to include repeal as part of his upcoming defense budget request to Congress, which is set to become public Monday. It’s possible the Pentagon’s new plan could be repeal language included as part of Obama’s request.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has also said for months that Pentagon lawyers are looking to see if there’s a way to implement ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in a “more humane” way. The new plan could be a change along these lines that would work in the interim until Congress repeals the law.