RIVERSIDE, Calif., Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A federal judge Thursday ruled the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy unconstitutionally violates the First Amendment rights of gays and lesbians.
Ruling in a lawsuit brought by the Log Cabin Republicans, U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips said the policy has a "direct and deleterious effect" on the military and does not promote readiness, as backers of the policy argue, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The judge said she will issue an injunction barring enforcement of the policy but the U.S. Department of Justice will be able to appeal the ruling, the newspaper said. The Justice Department defended the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the trial in Riverside, Calif.
R. Clarke Cooper of the Log Cabin Republicans said the ruling was "not just a win for Log Cabin Republican service members, but all American service members."
"As an American, a veteran and an Army reserve officer, I am proud the court ruled that the arcane 'don't ask, don't tell' statute violates the Constitution," Cooper said.
President Barack Obama and other leading Democrats, with support from some Republicans, has supported ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which was implemented during the administration of former President Bill Clinton.
The House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee voted this year in favor of repeal.
