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Lady Gaga Leads "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Rally in Maine

Recording artist Lady Gaga speaks at a rally in support of repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gay service members, in Portland, Maine, on Monday, Sept. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach) Pat Wellenbach

PORTLAND, Maine (CBS/AP) Lady Gaga stopped in Maine Monday, but she had a message for lawmakers, rather than music fans.

On the eve of a key Senate vote, she urged the state's two U.S. senators to help repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays.

Pictures: Lady Gaga

More than 2,000 people attended a rally Monday at Portland's Deering Oaks Park, where the pop star railed against the 1993 policy prohibiting service members from revealing if they're gay.

Lady Gaga said the policy allows straight soldiers who harbor hatred toward gays to fight for their country. She suggests a new policy:"If you don't like it, go home."

The rally was organized by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. The organization is trying to pressure Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and Scott Brown of Massachusetts to vote to allow a repeal of the policy.

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