The Supreme Court turned aside Friday a gay rights group's request to temporarily suspend enforcement of the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military.The justices issued a brief order allowing the policy to remain in effect temporarily, until the full appeals process is completed.The Log Cabin Republicans had filed an emergency request with the nation's highest court to reverse the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision allowing the military to continue with "don't ask, don't tell" while the government appeals a lower court ruling that the law is unconstitutional.The appeals court, in San Francisco, California, is debating the constitutionality of barring openly gay and lesbian people from service in the U.S. armed forces. Until the larger questions are decided, that court had allowed the current enforcement policy to remain in place, prompting the time-sensitive appeal to the high court.The justices were, at this stage, being asked to rule only on the narrow enforcement issue. They are likely to tackle the constitutional questions after the appeals court issues its ruling, if Congress or the White House does not act first to repeal the current law."Log Cabin Republicans are disappointed that the Supreme Court decided to maintain the status quo ... but we are not surprised," Log Cabin Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper said in a written statement. "We are committed to pursuing every avenue in the fight against this failed and unconstitutional policy."Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said the Defense Department "believes the decision upholding the stay was appropriate."
