It has been a little more than two weeks since “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was officially removed from the books. There have been no reports of sexual tension, harassment or sexual assault, as predicted by the Family Research Council. There have been no shower rapes or any mass exodus of straight men and women who would not stand side-by-side with one of their own because of their sexual orientation.

What there has been is a slow and steady stream of brave men and women who have decided to tell the truth about who they are. As someone who did not serve, but grew up in a military household, I was taught that one of the essential pillars of the serving in the Armed Forces was honor.

If brave men and women are willing to enlist in the military, fight and make the ultimate sacrifice for our country, then they deserve the same rights and privileges as any other American.  The bottom line is that in the days since repeal, everyone in the military is serving with the same people they were serving with before repeal.

This is something that former Sen. Rick Santorum doesn’t seem to understand. In a recent presidential debate, Santorum said that there was no place for sexual displays in the military.  What he fails to understand is the simple fact that before Sept. 20, a gay soldier could not set a picture of he and his partner on his desk, while a straight soldier could. A lesbian Marine could not display a photo of her girlfriend near her bunk.

Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper was absolutely correct in his statement that, “Sen. Santorum’s shameful response to the combat soldier’s question regarding open service was incoherent and out of touch. America’s uniformed leaders support gays and lesbians serving alongside their colleagues with dignity and respect. Santorum’s divisive and homophobic remarks do not befit a commander-in-chief.”

On that same evening of repeal, Log Cabin Republicans honored Sens. Susan Collins and Scott Brown with Spirit of Lincoln awards for their critical roles in bringing repeal to reality.  They, along with six other Republican senators, voted in favor of repeal, pushing the vote above its needed margin of victory.

Between 1993 and Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, more than 14,000 service men and women were discharged under the failed policy of DADT. That’s 14,000 American jobs that men and women have been fired from simply for having the integrity to say who they are. How do we live in a country where being honest is a disqualifying factor?

If you have faith in our armed forces, then you should have faith that everyone serving has the proper training and skill set to successfully perform their duties and missions. If you respect the military, then you should respect the men and women who valiantly serve in it. All of them.

Sen. Scott Brown said it best at that Log Cabin dinner: “When a soldier answers the call for duty, it only matters if they’re willing to give their all.”

Robert Turner is president of the D.C. chapter of Log Cabin Republicans. Reach him at robert.turner@dclogcabin.org.

The Log Cabin Republicans held the ‘Spirit of Lincoln’ awards dinner honoring Senators Susan Collins and Scott Brown at the Hyatt Regency on Sept. 20, the same day that open service began in the military. Attendees included Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.), Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and presidential candidate Fred Karger.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The GOP U.S. senator from Massachusetts addressed a crowd of gay Republicans on Tuesday while emphasizing his deliberation that led to his vote for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.

Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), spoke before an estimated 215 attendees at the National Log Cabin Republicans’ awards dinner in D.C. Brown — along with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) —were given Log Cabin’s “Spirit of Lincoln” awards for theirs votes for repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“I try to vote in what’s in the best interest of Massachusetts and for our country,” Brown said. “On every issue that comes before me — whether it’s ranging from jobs bills, or fed regs, the START Treaty or repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ — I’ve done my due diligence, made sure that I understood the issue. And I always act in an independent manner, regardless of what political party is supporting that issue.”

Brown’s only explicit mention of LGBT issues during his speech before gay Republicans was his vote to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Brown said the deliberation that preceded his decision to vote for repeal was a “perfect example” of his approach on deciding how to vote on certain issues.

“From the start, I made it clear that I wanted to review the findings of the Pentagon report to make sure that the change in policy would not negatively affect our military readiness, especially the way our troops are serving around the world, and especially where lives were on the line,” Brown said.

In making his decision to vote for repeal, Brown said he spoke to active duty and retired members of the military — in a manner that he called “on the down low” — to see if the armed forces were ready for the change, and ultimately made the decision to vote “yes.”

Brown said he learned during his time in public service “there are good people on both sides of every issue” without specifically mentioning LGBT issues as part of this portion of his remarks.

Collins spoke prior to Brown at the dinner. Her remarks were based off remarks she gave earlier during a news conference and she again read a postcard from an anonymous Army soldier thanking her for her vote to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of the National Log Cabin Republicans, issued a statement following Brown’s speech endorsing the senator for re-election in 2012.

“Sen. Scott Brown came to Washington, D.C. last year as part of a vanguard that broke the Democratic lockdown on the Senate,” Cooper said. “Since then he has been a firm and consistent voice on core conservative positions in support of job growth and reducing the deficit.”

Brown’s support for the LGBT community while in the U.S. Senate is marginal. Although Brown voted in favor of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal last year, he previously voted against cloture on the defense authorization bill when it carried the language to end the military’s gay ban.

The Massachusetts Republican hasn’t signed on as a co-sponsor to major pro-LGBT legislation, such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act or legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Brown also voted in favor of a measure that would bring same-sex marriage in D.C. up for referendum in the district.

Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Brown served as a state senator in Massachusetts and voted several times for measures that would have rescinded same-sex marriage in the Bay State.

In the upcoming election, Brown is likely to face Democrat Elizabeth Warren, the former chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel created to oversee the U.S. bank bailout of 2008. A poll published Tuesday by Public Policy Polling found Warren marginally leading Brown 46-44.

Groups that worked to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are hosting a variety of events in D.C. in the coming days to commemorate the lifting of the gay ban.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is inviting guests to participate in a celebration on Tuesday at K Street Lounge, 1301 K St., N.W. The event will take place from 6-10 p.m. The suggested donation is $20.

Notable figures who will appear at the dinner include Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Rep. Adam Smith, ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. Openly gay members of Congress who are slated to attend are Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who recently announced a bid for U.S. Senate. Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, who faced discharge under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and former Air Force Maj. Mike Almy are also set to attend.

Also on Tuesday, the Log Cabin Republicans hosts its annual “Spirit of Lincoln” dinner, which will have a special emphasis on the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The event will take place from 6:45-8:45 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency, 400 New Jersey Ave., N.W.

Two Republican U.S. senators who voted for repeal — Susan Collins of Maine and Scott Brown of Massachusetts — will be present. Also scheduled to appear are Reps. Richard Hanna and Nan Hayworth, freshman Republicans who last year campaigned in opposition to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), who also voted for repeal, is another speaker.

On Monday, Servicemembers United is hosting the “Countdown to Repeal Party” on the eve of the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The event will take place at Town nightclub (2009 8th St., N.W.) from 9 p.m. to midnight. The group emphasizes the celebration isn’t a fundraiser and there’s no suggested donation.

Additionally, LGBT groups in Virginia are hosting their own celebration to observe the end of the military’s gay ban. The Arlington Gay Lesbian Alliance, the Arlington Democrats and the Arlington Greens are hosting a karaoke event at Freddie’s Beach Bar, called “Yes We Did! Karaoke — A Celebration of the Repeal of DADT.” The bar is located at 555 23rd St. South in Arlington, Va. The event, which is free, will take place from 8-11 p.m.

Scott Brown was absent from the Massachusetts delegation's 'It Gets Better' video. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

A fake Twitter account meant to make fun of a Massachusetts politician ended the month of July by making light of the “It Gets Better” campaign to help prevent teen suicide has been linked to a spokesman for both Sen. Scott Brown and Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.

Eric Fehrnstrom, a senior campaign adviser to U.S. Senator Scott Brown, admitted unapologetically this week to the Boston Globe that he was behind the “CrazyKhazei” Twitter account meant to lampoon Alan Khazei, who hopes to face off against Sen. Scott Brown as the Democratic candidate from Massachusetts in 2012.

MORE IN THE BLADE: WHERE DOES HERMAN CAIN’S STAND ON LGBT RIGHTS?

“It’s horrifying that Scott Brown has chosen to look the other way after his senior adviser was caught making fun of a project whose sole aim is to prevent youth suicide,” Kevin Franck, communications director with the Massachusetts Democratic Party told the Blade. “Instead of telling LGBT youth across Massachusetts that it gets better, the junior senator has demonstrated that he is perfectly willing to tolerate the same kind of anti-gay bullying that has tormented so many young people.”

Fehrnstrom admitted setting up the fake Twitter account, telling Glen Johnson of the Boston Globe “It was my Twitter account.”

“Sometimes we take our politics too seriously and this was my way of lightening things up,” Fehrnstrom told the Globe. “As they say in politics, if you can’t stand the tweet, get out of the kitchen.”

Fehrnstrom, however, may have gone a bit too far when he posted a tweet at the expense of the popular, “It Gets Better” campaign to help communicate hope to LGBT youth most at risk to attempt suicide.

Screen Shot of the offending tweet on the "CrazyKhazei" Twitter feed. (Screen capture by Washington Blade)

“I promise to devote all my time in office making gay videos. Shame on Scott Brown for focusing on jobs!” the July 31 tweet read.

The ‘joke’ came at a time when Scott Brown received criticism for not joining the rest of the Massachusetts delegation to the U.S. Congress in making an “It Gets Better” video encouraging troubled and bullied LGBT youth to seek help rather than end their lives in suicide. According to studies LGBT teens are up to four times more likely to do when compared to straight counterparts.

Scott Brown released a statement saying: “While it’s clear Eric was seeking to inject a little levity into politics on his own time, I wasn’t aware of what he was doing.”

“While Senator Scott Brown may think that this was ‘just injecting a little levity’ in the campaign, he should know that what he’s trying to pass off as juvenile behavior is actually very hurtful to LGBT people not only in his home state, but around the country,” Michael Mitchell, National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director, said in a statement released last week. “The fact that Fehrnstrom set up a fake account that appeared to be from a Democratic challenger is dirty politics, plain and simple.”

MORE IN THE BLADE: COULD GINGRICH BE THE GOP NOMINEE?

The Twitter account has since been deleted, but staffers from the Democratic ‘Blue Mass Group’ captured the stream before it was deleted, and compiled all of the tweets into a single PDF file. The Washington Blade was able to grab a screen capture from that file which shows the Tweet.

Bay State Stonewall Democrats Co-chair Claire Naughton expressed outrage over the tweets. “Statements like that are indicative of a person’s value system. I cannot believe that Sen. Brown has not already fired Fehrnstrom from his campaign.”

Brown was the only member of the Massachusetts delegation to Congress to refuse to participate in making an “It Gets Better” video, which has seen the participation of the President, Secretary of State Clinton, many sports teams, celebrities and national political and entertainment figures.

At the time, his spokesman Colin Reed explained the Senator’s absence saying “His main focus right now is on creating jobs and getting our economy back on track.”

Despite several attempts, the Blade was unable to receive a response from the Scott Brown campaign.

Log Cabin Republicans will celebrate the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” with two of the Senate GOP’s ‘yes’ votes. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

This year’s Log Cabin Republican national dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Washington D.C. will be a very special event as it falls on the day “Don’t Ask, Don’ Tell” repeal will go into effect.

Log Cabin will use the opportunity to celebrate this victory and honor two of the GOP Senators that crossed the aisle to help make repeal a reality.

Sens. Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Susan Collins of Maine were two of the eight Republican Senators that joined the Democratic majority in the Senate repealing the 17 year old law in December. They were joined by Richard Burr (N.C.), John Ensign (Nevada), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Olympia J. Snowe (Maine) and George V. Voinovich (Ohio). Sen. Collins sponsored the final compromise bill which separated the repeal itself from the filibustered National Defense Authorization bill to which it had been attached.

Over 17 years nearly 14,000 troops were discharged under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which barred gay and lesbian troops from serving openly in the armed forces. Many of the discharged troops were mission critical, including Arab linguists, which eventually led to wide distaste for the policy among military brass.

In recent years, Log Cabin Republicans successfully brought a high profile Federal case against the government over the policy, which led twice to injunctions against the policy’s enforcement.

Opponents of the policy say it violated several Constitutional rights, hampered military readiness and was enforced inconsistently throughout the service, where strict enforcement in one unit would be countered by non-enforcement in another. The mounting pressure forced Congress to finally act in late 2010.

Log Cabin will bestow its highest honor on Brown and Collins, “The Spirit of Lincoln Award,” at the ceremony.

“The dinner will be attended by several hundred Log Cabin Republican members and allies from across the country, celebrating the end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ with Senator Collins who played a critical role in repealing the policy,” noted Christian Berle, deputy executive director of the organization.

Other confirmed speakers include Reps. Nan Heyworth (R-NY), Richard Hanna (R-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen-L (R-FL), and Judy Biggert (R-IL).

N.C. activists fight to avoid amendment

CHARLOTTE — LGBT activists in North Carolina are battling a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage being considered by lawmakers this September.

According to the Charlotte Observer, similar amendments had been proposed for years, but never reached full floor votes in the Democratic legislatures. With Republican control over both North Carolina houses, however, the amendment has its greatest chance yet of passing.

Equality North Carolina hopes to send more than 50,000 postcards to lawmakers by the start of the September session in hopes of convincing them to vote down the amendment. If approved by a three-fifths majority, the ban goes to the ballot where voters will have the final approval.

“You can’t have the tyranny of the majority impose their will on the people who need to be protected,” Ed Crabtree told the Charlotte Observer at a gay and lesbian film festival where Equality North Carolina collected 500 post cards for lawmakers.

Sean Hayes to star in ‘gay Two and a Half Men.’

LOS ANGELES — One of the most memorable faces from ‘Will & Grace,’ has been signed to star in an NBC sitcom about two gay dads who are ‘tasked with raising a 12 year old.’

According to Entertainment Weekly, Sean Hayes, who played the iconic Jack McFarland for eight seasons on the groundbreaking gay sitcom, will return to NBC to play one half of a gay couple that suddenly find themselves parents.

Hayes officially came out as gay last year, after years of speculation. When coming out to the Advocate, Hayes said “I feel like I’ve contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America, and if anyone wants to argue that, I’m open to it.”

Bachmann faces questions about her LGBT views

WASHINGTON — After refusing to say on NBC whether or not she considered a same-sex couple raising children “a family,” GOP presidential hopeful, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann told CNN Sunday that she would reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” if elected president.

“I would be in consultation with our commanders, but yes, I probably will,” Bachmann told CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ on Sunday.

After winning the Ames straw poll in Iowa on Saturday, Bachmann visited two political talk shows this week, facing LGBT-related questions at both.

On NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ when pressed by David Gregory as to whether a same-sex couple raising children is a ‘family,’ Bachmann replied, “You know, all of these kind of questions really aren’t about what people are concerned about right now.”

Bachmann also dodged a question about appointing LGBT people to administration positions and the federal bench.

Log Cabin to honor two ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal allies in Senate

WASHINGTON — Log Cabin Republicans will honor Sens. Scott Brown (Mass.) and Susan Collins (Maine) at their national dinner on Sept. 20.

The dinner will coincide with the same day that the law repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will go into effect. Brown and Collins — who joined six other Republicans in crossing the aisle for repeal — will be given Log Cabin’s highest honor, the “Spirit of Lincoln Award,” for assisting in ending the 17-year-old law that saw the discharge of nearly 14,000 troops, many mission-critical, such as Arabic linguists.

Opponents of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are increasingly confident they have the 60 votes needed in the Senate to repeal the military’s gay ban in the wake of announcements from three Republican senators pledging to back stand-alone legislation to end the 1993 law.

On Thursday, Sens. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said in separate statements that they would support standalone legislation pending before the Senate to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” now that the chamber has resolved the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts.

The three lawmakers had previously announced they support “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, but hadn’t yet endorsed any specific legislation to achieve that goal. Earlier this month, they voted against the motion to proceed on major defense budget legislation containing language to repeal the military’s gay ban.

John Gentzel, a Snowe spokesperson, confirmed in a statement to the Blade that Snowe would support the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal bill — provided certain legislation clears the Senate first.

Asked via e-mail whether Snowe would vote in favor of the repeal bill, Gentzel replied, “Yes, assuming it comes to the floor after the Senate deals with taxes and the [continuing resolution] first (per the GOP letter to Reid from Dec. 1).”

Gentzel was referring to a letter in which all 42 members of the Republican caucus pledged to oppose legislation coming to the floor if the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts and funding for the government hadn’t yet been addressed.

A spokesperson for Sen. Scott Brown said he'd vote in favor of the 'Don't Ask' repeal bill (Blade photo by Michael Key).

According to ABC News, Gail Gitcho, a Brown spokesperson, said the Massachusetts senator would vote in favor of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) brought “a clean repeal bill” to the floor.

“Sen. Brown accepts the Pentagon’s recommendation to repeal the policy after proper preparations have been completed,” Gitcho said. “If and when a clean repeal bill comes up for a vote, he will support it.”

Michael Brumas, a Murkowski spokesperson, also said via e-mail that the Alaska senator would vote in favor of the bill.

“Sen. Murkowski will support a stand-alone repeal of the ['Don't Ask, Don't Tell'] bill,” Brumas said. “With the tax package out of the way, and legislation to fund the government on a glide path to passage, Sen. Murkowski will vote to move to ['Don't Ask, Don't Tell'] when it is brought to the floor.”

The announcements from Snowe, Brown and Murkowski mean four committed Republican votes in favor of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is an original co-sponsor of the legislation.

Other possibilities for Republican support are Sens. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio). The Indiana senator has expressed support for repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but also voted against moving ahead with the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill and hasn’t backed any specific measure that would end the military’s gay ban.

Fred Sainz, the Human Right Campaign’s vice president of communications, said he’s “confident” that announcements from Brown and Murkowski mean that 60 votes are present in the Senate to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“Sens. Collins, Brown and Murkowski’s commitment is proof that this unjust and discriminatory law will soon be a part of the dust-bin of history,” Sainz said.

But even with this support in the Senate, questions remain over whether Reid will schedule a vote on the repeal legislation in the limited time remaining before lawmakers adjourn for this Congress. Reid has said he’d bring the legislation to the floor before the end of the session — and has even threatened to keep the Senate in session until Jan. 4 to repeal the law — but anxiety remains as he hasn’t yet scheduled the bill.

In a news conference, Reid said he doesn’t know if he’ll bring the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal legislation to the Senate floor before Christmas but reiterated he plans on bringing the bill to the floor along with other bills before the end of the year.

“I don’t know if I’ll bring it before Christmas,” Reid said. “Before this Congress ends, we’re going to to — we’re going to complete — or have a vote, determine a vote on the START treaty, the DREAM Act, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, 9/11 and, hopefully, we can get an agreement on nominations. Otherwise we’ll have some votes on nominations.”

Questions over President Obama’s commitment to pushing the Senate to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” also continue as White House officials assert that Obama is making calls to ensure repeal happens.

In response to a question from The Advocate on why Obama hasn’t been on TV calling for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs during a news conference Thursday insisted the president has been active in repeal efforts.

“Let’s be clear, we would not be at this point if it wasn’t for the president’s leadership in bringing this issue to the forefront,” Gibbs said. “There’s time to do this if there are those on the other side of the aisle that wish to get this done.  And it is clear that whether it’s Sen. Brown or Sen. Murkowski or Sen. Snowe or others, there’s an effort to get this done if we have time to do it.”

Asked whether the president has been in conversations with Reid on the issue, Gibbs replied, “They talk regularly.”

Sen. Scott Brown (Blade photo by Michael Key).

Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) announced on Friday he would support an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in a statement that could bring repeal advocates closer to their goal of lifting the military’s gay ban.

Brown said he’s basing his new support for ending the ban on the recently released Pentagon report and the recommendations of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has called on Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“I accept the findings of the report and support repeal based on the Secretary’s recommendations that repeal will be implemented only when the battle effectiveness of the forces is assured and proper preparations have been completed,” Brown said.

Brown’s office didn’t respond on short notice to confirm whether this announcement means the senator is committed to voting for moving forward with the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill, the vehicle to which repeal language is attached. In September, Brown voted with the rest of the Republican caucus to prevent the legislation from coming to the Senate floor.

In a statement, Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, commended Brown for endorsing repeal. Still, Solmonese said he hopes this support translates to vote in favor of a motion to proceed on the defense authorization bill.

“Support for repealing the ban on open service by gays and lesbians continues to strengthen in the U.S. Senate and supporters will soon be put to the test,” Solmonese said. ”The true measure of whether or not one supports an end to this policy will come as the Senate considers if they will begin debate on the defense bill. Make no mistake, a vote against the motion to proceed is a vote against ['Don't Ask, Don't Tell'] repeal.”

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said he welcomes Brown’s comments as he advised Republicans against once again blocking consideration of the defense authorization bill.

“If the 42 GOP senators — including several who support repeal of ‘Don’t Ask’ — stand with their party on process and procedure, their vote will be an endorsement of the discrimination that has cost 14,000 men and women their jobs and put our country’s national security at risk,” Sarvis said.

The complete statement from Brown’s office follows:

“I have been in the military for 31 years and counting, and have served as a subordinate and as an officer. As a legislator, I have spent a significant amount of time on military issues. During my time of service, I have visited our injured troops at Walter Reed and have attended funerals of our fallen heroes. When a soldier answers the call to serve, and risks life or limb, it has never mattered to me whether they are gay or straight. My only concern has been whether their service and sacrifice is with pride and honor.

“I pledged to keep an open mind about the present policy on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Having reviewed the Pentagon report, having spoken to active and retired military service members, and having discussed the matter privately with Defense Secretary Gates and others, I accept the findings of the report and support repeal based on the Secretary’s recommendations that repeal will be implemented only when the battle effectiveness of the forces is assured and proper preparations have been completed.”

A key U.S. senator that those seeking ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal have been lobbying for support will vote in favor of a compromise amendment to end the law, according to his office.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) plans to vote in favor of the measure made public on Monday by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.), a spoksperson said.

“Nelson will support the Levin-Lieberman Amendment,” said Dan McLaughlin, a Nelson spokesperson.

The Senate Armed Services Committee — on which Nelson serves — is expected to consider repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” during its markup later this week of the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill.

Nelson was among six senators that LGBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, have been lobbying through a grassroots campaign to vote in favor of repeal. The other five are Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), and Jim Webb (D-Va.).

However, Brown said on Tuesday he would vote against the amendment as proposed by Lieberman, according to the Boston Globe.

“I am keeping an open mind, but I do not support moving ahead until I am able to finish my review, the Pentagon completes its study, and we can be assured that a new policy can be implemented without jeopardizing the mission of our military,” Brown reportedly said in a statement.

Ben Nelson has told the Blade he opposes “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal at this time, although it’s unclear whether his position has changed following the announcement of the compromise measure.

The compromise amendment made public on Monday would repeal the statute prohibiting open service in the U.S. military only after the Pentagon completes its study on the issue at the end of the year and President Obama and Pentagon leaders certify the repeal is consistent with military standards.

Additionally, the proposed amendment lacks non-discrimination language and would return authority on discharging LGBT service members to the Pentagon.

The Blade will have more information on this story as it develops.