ISSUES: Judge Gives Gay Air Force Nurse Personal Words of Support

The judge who ordered the Air Force to reinstate a gay flight nurse yesterday also paused to deliver personal words of encouragement to Margaret Witt, notes the Seattle Times. "You said something in the trial that resonated with me," said District Court Judge Ronald Leighton. "You said the best thing to come out of all this turmoil is the reaction of your parents when you told them of your sexual orientation: their love and support for you."

He continued: "Not withstanding the victory you obtained here today, for yourself and for others, I would submit to you that the best thing to come out of all this tumult is still that love and support you have received from your family. You are truly blessed as a family ..." He also encouraged her to request reinstatement because she would provide the "best evidence" that the military's ban on gay troops is misguided. Witt later said she planned to do just that.