President Barack Obama talks with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates outside the Oval Office in the White House, June 16, 2009. Photo credit: Pete Souza, White House photographer

The controversial US military policy that prevents gays and lesbians from openly serving in the armed forces is officially on the chopping block: Independent Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman introduced a bill yesterday to repeal the ban, although Republican lawmakers promptly began questioning the whole thing.

Lieberman, The New York Times reported, was acting on President Barack Obama’s promise to end the 17-year-old policy, nicknamed “Don’t ask, don’t tell” since it was enacted during President Bill Clinton’s tenure. Given the rather immediate reaction from the Republican corner, whose ranks have long objected to removing the ban, it’s unclear whether the legislation can garner the 60 votes necessary for a repeal. Senator Carl Levin, the Democratic senator from Michigan who is also chair of the Armed Services Committee, suggested that a more expedient route would be a moratorium on military discharges due to the ban.

Both Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for a repeal of the ban before Congress several weeks ago; both also argued for a Pentagon study before removing the ban. But GOP Senators have begun attacking the review, claiming that it’s biased in an attempt to erode its credibility, The Associated Press reported yesterday.

Even so, The Washington Post reported, leading Dems have pledged to get the ban removed before the Pentagon completes its review, which is expected to wrap up on 1 December, 2010 and will also examine rules for soldiers regarding sodomy and oral sex.

Much of the US media coverage and opinion has been with the repeal of the ban since Gates and Mullen appealed to Congress to remove it; there’s little opinion coverage thus far today, but we’ll keep you posted.