Obama backs gays

President Barack Obama yesterday reaffirmed his campaign pledge to end the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military in a speech yesterday, but offered no timetable or specifics for acting on that promise.

He acknowledged to a cheering crowd of about 3000 at the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay civil rights advocacy group, that some policy changes he promised on the campaign trail were not coming as quickly as they expected.

The "don't-ask-don't-tell" law was passed by Congress in 1993 and signed by President Bill Clinton, who also promised to repeal the ban on homosexuals in the military but was blunted by opposition in the military and Congress.

Obama said he's working with Pentagon and congressional leaders on ending the policy.