U.S. Supreme Court upholds military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy

The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed on Monday a challenge to the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy forbidding gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, granting a request by the Obama administration.

The court said it will not hear an appeal from former Army Capt. James Pietrangelo II, who with 11 other veterans had earlier challenged the policy in the federal appeals court in Boston.

After that court threw out the lawsuit, Pietrangelo was the only member of the group who asked the high court to rule that the Clinton-era policy is unconstitutional.

In court papers, the Obama administration said the appeals court ruled correctly in this case when it found that "don't ask, don't tell" is "rationally related to the government's legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion."

During last year's campaign, President Barack Obama indicated he supported eventually repealing the policy, but he gave no timeline and has made no moves so far in that direction.

Meanwhile, the White House has said it won't stop gays and lesbians from being dismissed from the military.

Last year, the federal appeals court in San Francisco allowed a decorated flight nurse to continue her lawsuit over her dismissal.

The court stopped short of declaring the policy unconstitutional, but said that the Air Force must prove that ousting former Maj. Margaret Witt furthered the military's goals of troop readiness and unit cohesion.

The administration did not appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court and Witt's lawsuit is continuing.