Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's
defense nominee, has endorsed repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”
and committed to extending equal benefits to the families of LGBT
troops.
In
a letter to California Senator Barbara Boxer, Hagel, who has been
criticized for his record on gay rights during his tenure as a
Senator from Nebraska, made his position clear.
“I fully support the Don't Ask,
Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and value the service of all those
who fight for our country,” Hagel wrote. “I know firsthand the
profound sacrifice our service members and their families make, and
if confirmed as Secretary of Defense, I will do everything possible
to the extent permissible under current law to provide equal benefits
to the families of all our service members.”
Allyson Robinson, the executive
director of OutServe-SLDN, the largest group representing LGBT
troops, called Hagel's pledge a “turning point” for gay military
families.
“Senator Hagel's commitment is a
turning point for our gay and lesbian military families,” she said
in a statement. “His promise to grant these service members the
family benefits they have earned demonstrates his deepening grasp of
the injustice currently being done to them.”
Citing Hagel's poor voting record on
gay rights in the Senate and comments he made in 1998 toward James
Hormel, the openly gay former U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, gay GOP
group Log Cabin Republicans has led the charge against Hagel – a
Republican – running expensive full-page ads in The New York
Times and The Washington Post opposing his nomination.
Hagel recently apologized for calling
Hormel a bad fit for the post of ambassador because he's “openly,
aggressively gay.”