Gay group Log Cabin Republicans is
asking a federal appeals court to accelerate an appeal to “Don't
Ask, Don't Tell,” the 17-year-old law that bans gay and bisexual
troops from serving openly, the AP reported.
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
in California is set to hear the government's appeal to U.S.
District Judge Virginia Phillips' September ruling striking down
the law as unconstitutional. Following her ruling, Phillips issued
an injunction ordering the government to stop enforcement of the law,
but the appeals court set the ruling aside after 8 days, and the
policy returned. The
group's last-minute plea to the Supreme Court to reinstate the
injunction was rejected.
In a motion filed Friday, lawyers for
the Log Cabin Republicans asked the appeals court for an expedited
schedule, which would put the case before the court sometime in
April.
President Barack Obama has pledged to
repeal the law that has ended the military careers of over 13,000
service members, but says he would prefer a legislative solution and
has urged Congress to act. Democratic
leaders have announced they'll take a second look at repealing the
law after the Thanksgiving break.