Retired Army General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell has reversed his longstanding opposition to allowing gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military. Powell was one of the key figures behind the establishment of “don’t ask, don’t tell” seventeen years ago. But on Wednesday, Powell said he backed calls from the Pentagon’s top leaders to drop the ban, saying, “Attitudes and circumstances have changed.” Defense Secretary Robert Gates, meanwhile, returned to Congress for a second day of testimony, saying a repeal would first be subject to an extensive review.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates: “The role of a leader, it seems to me, is to set the goal, but if you want lasting and effective change, you had better bring the people who are going to be affected by it into the discussion and get their views. And at a minimum, it will help you mitigate whatever negative consequences there are. That’s the purpose of this review.”