Cindy McCain Knocks 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Ban on Gays in Military

Cindy McCain is appearing in a new video ad sharply critical of the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays -- the very law her husband, Sen. John McCain, is battling to keep on the books.

"Our political and religious leaders tell LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] youth that they have no future," McCain says in the ad, which also features celebrities and rock stars. "They can't serve our country openly." Later in the video, referring to bullies, she adds, "Our government treats the LGBT community like second-class citizens -- why shouldn't they?"

Related: Supreme Court Leaves 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in Place During Challenges

On Capitol Hill, Sen. McCain, a former Navy flier who was held in a North Vietnamese prison for 5½ years, is in the middle of a fight to defeat Senate legislation that would repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces. The House has already passed a repeal bill and President Obama has vowed to do away with the Clinton-era policy.

The new ad, produced by the California-based organization NOH8, is part of a campaign against the bullying of gay teenagers, begun after several highly publicized suicides by tormented young gay people.

Watch video of ad below.