Court Orders Gay Military Service Ban Lifted--Fast; Pentagon Agrees to Enforce Court Order Quickly

A federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled today (July 6, 2011) that the Obama administration must stop enforcing the ban that prevents gay men and women from serving openly in the U.S. military, according to the Reuters website.

Last year, a California district court judge found that the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy violated the U.S. Constitution, and issued an injunction. But the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals put that injunction on hold, as the Department of Justice appealed that ruling.

In the order today, the 9th Circuit Court noted that the process of repealing DADT is now "well underway."

The government "can no longer satisfy the demanding standard" to keep the injunction on hold, the court ruled.