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US military's gay ban should be repealed, claims Colin Powell

POSTED: Sun 14 February 2010

The US military's gay ban should be repealed, according to the country's former secretary of state and joint chiefs of staff chairman Colin Powell.

Powell had originally helped pass the legislation in 1993, but said recently: "If the chiefs and commanders are comfortable with moving to change the policy, then I support it. Attitudes and circumstances have changed. Society is always reflected in the military. It's where we get our soldiers from."

The ban was a compromise allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the US military if they kept their sexual orientation secret.

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