Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: Troops hold Inquiry Meeting and White House Responds to Department of Justice Defense of the Ban

There was also a follow-up question on whether the President thinks DADT is constitutional. More on that at Americablog.

Yesterday in the Pentagon auditorium, 350 troops picked at random assembled for a discussion about gays living and working among them:

 "Officials say they will spend the next several months reaching out to troops and their families in focus groups and meetings like the Tuesday forum to determine what concerns they'll have to address.Attendees of the Tuesday session said that one female Marine stated that bunking with a lesbian would be the same as being told to share a room with a man. A soldier said he didn't want to wade into the political debate and that he would follow orders.Another service member asked if a gay service member who gets married — now forbidden under law — would receive military family benefits.At one point, a moderator asked how many troops believed they have served with a gay person. About half the people in the audience raised their hands.Attendees described the meeting on condition of anonymity because they said they were not authorized to speak publicly on the issue."

Military leaders say this is part of the process to assess the impact lifting the ban would have on troops.

In yesterday's White House press briefing, The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld asked Press Secretary Robert Gibbs (with regard to the recent defense of DADT by the Justice Dept using outdate quotes from Colin Powell) whether "the President at all concerned that DOJ is a little insular or tone deaf on issues that are sort of politically sticky, especially those of interest to the LGBT community?"

Replied Gibbs: "I will say this, obviously the President has enunciated his support for ending “don’t ask, don’t tell,” rolling back — made a commitment to roll back DOMA in the campaign. Obviously, the Justice Department has — is charged with upholding the law as it exists, not as the President would like to see it. We have obviously taken steps on the front of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and I think we’ve made a genuine amount of progress. I will say, was it odd that they included previous statements from General Colin Powell on a belief set that he no longer had? I don’t think the President would disagree with that."

Watch the White House presser, AFTER THE JUMP…