TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Closing arguments are underway in the case of a lesbian who wants to be reinstated to the Air Force Reserve in Washington state.
Former Maj. Margaret Witt of Spokane is suing the government in U.S. District Court in Tacoma. She argued that her discharge under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays serving in the military violated her constitutional rights.
An appeals court panel in her case ruled in 2008 that the military cannot discharge someone for being gay unless it shows that the firing furthered military goals. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton is now weighing whether Witt’s discharge met that standard.
The six-day trial featured several of Witt’s former colleagues, who testified that Witt’s sexuality never caused a problem and that she was an excellent flight nurse.
