Leon Panetta

• Political Party: Democrat
  
• Birth date: 6/28/38
  
• Profiles: Wikipedia

Ten years after gay and bi people were allowed to serve openly, military leaders there has been no effect on military readiness.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s resignation under pressure is a setback to the effort to end the military exclusion of transgender service personnel.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Monday announced he will extend to nearly the full extent permitted under current law the benefits available to gay and lesbian service members and their families.

WASHINGTON – U.S. officials said Tuesday that outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is poised to extend some benefits to the same-sex partners of military members.

The U.S. Marine Corps said it has advised its legal staff that spouses clubs operating on its installations must admit same-sex spouses if they wish to remain on Marine bases. The announcement comes in response to a an ongoing controversy at the U.S. Army’s Fort Bragg installation in North Carolina, where the officers’ spouses club […]

Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness, who supports the ban on gays in the military, accused the LGBT community of trying to “make other people feel like they are not welcome” in an interview Tuesday with Janet Parshall.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Friday released a video recognizing June as LGBT Pride Month, and thanked the families of gay and lesbian service members and LGBT civilians.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday announced it will soon hold its first ever “pride” event to recognize gay and lesbian service members.

In a letter Tuesday to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, three U.S.Senators have asked the Secretary to use his authority to streamline the process for those discharged under the repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law in order to expedite discharge paperwork changes and upgrades.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network on Tuesday marked the six month anniversary of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by calling on the Defense Department to extend available benefits and support to married gay and lesbian service members and their families.

The New Hampshire National Guard on Wednesday reversed an earlier ruling that a gay Guardsman could not bring her spouse to an upcoming National Guard event, just one day after U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) contacted Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, asking him to intervene.

President Barack Obama has formally signed the certification that repeals the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to announce on Friday that the Pentagon is ready to certify the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” paving the way for gay men and women to serve openly in all branches of the U.S. military.

Retiring Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said that repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” will be certified as early as late July.