“Now that explicit anti-gay animus is an albatross, those who oppose gay civil rights are driven to invent ever loopier rationales for denying those rights, whether in the military or in marriage. (Sen. Orrin) Hatch, for instance, limply suggested ... that a repeal of ‘don’t ask’ would lead to gay demands for ‘special rights.’ Such arguments, both preposterous and disingenuous, are mere fig leaves to disguise the phobia that can no longer dare speak its name.”

“There is a lack of leadership from the top (on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell). Our largest LGBT advocacy group (the Human Rights Campaign) is in Washington to demand it for us, and needs to stop making excuses for our self-described ‘fierce advocate’ and demand that he (President Obama) be that.”

“Twenty years ago the military were the strong advocates of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell when I was secretary of defense. I think things have changed significantly since then. I see that Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has indicated his belief that we ought to support a change in the policy. So, I think my guess is the policy will be changed. I think that society has moved on. I think it’s partly a generational question. I’m reluctant to second-guess the military in this regard because they’re the ones that have got to make the judgment about how these policies affect the military capability of our units, and that first requirement that you have to look at all the time is whether they’re still capable of achieving their mission, and does the policy change – i.e., putting gays in the force – affect their ability to perform their mission. When the (Joint) Chiefs come forward and say, ‘We think we can do it,’ then it strikes me that it’s time to reconsider the policy, and I think Adm. Mullen said that.”