The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the U.S. government must immediately stop enforcing the military ban on openly gay service, despite the Pentagon's insistence it needs time to gradually implement the change.

The government must get a stay of the order from the Ninth Circuit or the Supreme Court--or else immediately begin allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military.

After Congress repealed the "Don't ask, Don't tell" ban in December, the Pentagon has been vague about the timeline. Training in how to implement the law's repeal is already under way, but no date has been set for when it will be certified by the president and military leaders. Until then, "Don't ask, don't tell" is still the law of the land.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said in a statement the delayed certification process has caused "confusion" among troops.