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Another both on and off Capitol Hill related to the repeal of 鈥淒on鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell鈥� (DADT). The Senate Armed Services Committee will be holding a hearing on Thursday morning at 9:45 a.m., which will feature a prominent proponent of the discriminatory policy, as well as two victims of it. The contrast should be fairly striking.

Speaking in support of DADT will be retired U.S. Marine Corps General John J. Sheehan. DADT will be former Air Force Major Mike Almy and former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Jenny Kopfstein. Both are veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and had distinguished military careers, which were prematurely terminated as a result of DADT. This will be the first congressional hearing to feature those whose military careers were ended as a result of the policy since President Obama鈥檚 call for repeal of DADT in . Be sure to check back after the hearing for highlights and our take.

This week will also see the that can be taken short of repeal (which only Congress can approve) that would lessen some of the most egregious aspects of DADT, as well as make it more difficult to initiate discharge proceedings of a service member. Possibilities include eliminating anonymous tips as the basis for the start of an inquiry, and requiring that alleged homosexual conduct on which any discharge is based occurs after a service member joined the armed forces. It, of course, remains to be seen just what steps the Pentagon will be willing to take while Congress hashes out the details of a full repeal.

While no substitute for an actual repeal of DADT, the Pentagon can and should take steps to mitigate the ugliest aspects of the policy. Robert Doody, Executive Director of the 老澳门开奖结果 of South Dakota, described just such an instance in a blog post earlier this week 鈥� 鈥淲ho You Love Shouldn鈥檛 Matter When You Serve鈥� 鈥� that discussed the case of a woman who was discharged after being outed by South Dakota鈥檚 Rapid City Police Department.

It is certainly encouraging to see all of these positive developments regarding repeal DADT. However, they must not be an end in and of themselves. Nothing short of fully repealing this policy, that openly gay and lesbian individuals pose "an unacceptable threat to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability,鈥� is needed.