Pentagon limits scope of “don’t ask, don’t tell” investigations
The Pentagon has unveiled new rules aimed at loosening restrictions on gays and lesbians in the U.S. military. Under the changes announced Thursday, the military would no longer investigate anonymous complaints against members suspected of being gay and the authority to open investigations will be limited to high-ranking officers. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the new restrictions would add “a greater measure of common sense and common decency” to the existing rules and would be effective immediately. In all, over 13,000 people have been kicked out of the military since the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was implemented in 1993, with 428 of those expulsions happening last year.