In the 13 years of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that has banned gays and lesbians from service in the armed forces, more than 11,000 gays have been discharged, including 58 Arabic linguists and other needed specialists, at a cost of more than $300 million. It is high time for Congress to rethink the policy.

U.S. Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.), with 126 co-sponsors including Maine’s Reps. Tom Allen and Mike Michaud, has introduced a bill to end this sex-based discrimination. It faces some of the same old opposition: the rational concerns of morale and cohesion among the troops, reminders that there’s a war on, and a less reasonable worry that gays pose a security risk. And, sad to say, fear and loathing of homosexuals is still with us to some extent, although far less among younger citizens.

But change is in the air. Polls show that both the general public and members of the armed forces are overwhelmingly ready for an end to the discriminatory policy.

Retired Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an article in The New York Times on Jan. 2 that he had changed his mind and now believed that the military was ready to accept gay men and lesbians. He warned, however, that a debate on the issue early in this Congress “risks alienating people whose support is needed to get this country on the right track.”

Maine’s retired Sen. William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense, promptly supported Gen. Shalikashvili, saying that it was time to start prudently “rethinking this policy.” He said, “The vast majority of service members are personally comfortable working and interacting with gays and lesbians, and there is only so long that Congress can ignore the evidence.”

Maine’s two Republican senators are willing to consider a change. Sen. Susan Collins said Congress should re-examine the policy and that the review “should assess the impact of the policy, the demands on our military forces, the challenges of instituting major policy changes during wartime, and the input provided by our military leaders.”

Sen. Olympia Snowe said it might be time for a review and that Congress “must carefully evaluate and hear from the military commanders to determine what is in the best interests of our armed forces and our brave men and women in uniform.”

Even retired Gen. Colin Powell, who opposed ending gender discrimination in the armed forces and led in drafting the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, has had second thoughts. He said on June 10 on “Meet the Press” that, while wartime was not a time to alter the policy, “gays and lesbians should be allowed to have maximum access to all aspects of society.”

The new nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen, and any who worry about changing policy in wartime should consider how the Navy handled racial desegregation in World War II. Many officers, accustomed to using non-whites only as cooks and waiters and cleaning staff, feared open revolt among the white sailors. But when President Truman abruptly ordered desegregation, the sailors took it in stride, and the change went smoothly.

Courageous and decisive leadership could remove this other stain too.