Hourly Update

Gov. says 'Don't Ask/Don't Tell' policy doesn't work

PHOENIX -- The military's policy of discharging openly gay and lesbian soldiers and sailors does not work, Gov. Janet Napolitano said Wednesday. But she stopped short of saying it should be repealed -- and that gays who are not "closeted" should be allowed to serve. Napolitano said the problem with the 14-year-old "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" policy is it focuses all the attention on someone's fitness to serve on sexual orientation. But the governor, who also is commander of the Arizona National Guard, said that misses the point. "To me, you ought to be focused on are the people there and are they doing their job," she said. "And Don't Ask/Don't Tell, to me, that doesn't tell you that." Instead, she said the focus should be on ensuring that solders can do their jobs. Napolitano said the Arizona Guard is being called on to do many things. She said there are about 1,500 soldiers serving in Iraq, with close to 500 more stationed along the U.S-Mexican border. "And so we're really calling on our Guard, men and women, to do a lot of different functions," she said. Napolitano's comments come just a day after the Human Rights Campaign brought several former members of the military to Phoenix to tell how the policy forced them out. The organization, which lobbies on behalf of civil rights for gays, is hoping to build pressure for repeal through a city-by-city tour.