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20 Dec 2010

US Senate ends military ban on gays serving openly

The US Senate voted 65-31 on Saturday to end the 17-year-old "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces.

The New York Times reported on Dec 18, 2010:

The Senate on Saturday struck down the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, bringing to a close a 17-year struggle over a policy that forced thousands of Americans from the ranks and caused others to keep secret their sexual orientation.

By a vote of 65 to 31, with eight Republicans joining Democrats, the Senate approved and sent to President Obama a repeal of the Clinton-era law, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a policy critics said amounted to government-sanctioned discrimination that treated gay and lesbian troops as second-class citizens.

Mr. Obama hailed the action, which fulfills his pledge to reverse the ban. “As commander in chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known,” Mr. Obama said in a statement after the Senate, on a 63-33 vote, beat back Republican efforts to block a final vote on the repeal bill.

The vote marked a historic moment that some equated with the end of racial segregation in the military.

It followed a comprehensive review by the Pentagon that found a low risk to military effectiveness despite greater concerns among some combat units and the Marine Corps. The review also found that Pentagon officials supported Congressional repeal as a better alternative than an court-ordered end.

Read the full article in the New York Times here.

Gay and lesbian servicemen should remain closeted for now

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has however warned that the process of certification could take at least two months and possibly up to a year. But for now, gay and lesbian servicemen should remain closeted.

Gates was quoted in an AFP report as saying: "The new rules would still not take effect for another 60 days. The military will implement change in a responsible, deliberate manner,' said Mullen, the highest ranking military officer. Gates warned troops they should keep their sexual orientation quiet for now because the current law and policy will remain in effect during the deliberative process. The Pentagon has nonetheless implemented a de facto moratorium on ousting troops over their sexual orientation since a first ruling against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" by a federal judge in October."

Gay advocate and former Army infantry officer Dan Choi, who was discharged after publicly challenging the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law and was hospitalised two weeks ago after suffering a "breakdown and anxiety attack" says he intends to rejoin the military.

United States

Reader's Comments

1. 2010-12-20 15:36  
Does that mean the United States Marine Corps Base CAMP Pendleton will have an entirely new meaning? LOL!!
2. 2010-12-20 22:30  
My thanks go out to everyone involved in making this happen!
3. 2010-12-21 00:17  
Praise to Lt. Dan Choi and some very noble people who got this done, military service, then marriage, a house in the suburbs, then adopting kids, wow its the perfect gay life to lead and more peer pressure too
4. 2010-12-21 04:57  
It's about damn time.
All hail, civil rights!! =D
5. 2010-12-21 09:31  
my goodness still making issues over gays in the military the USA seems to be like a capitalist Nth Korea I suppose thats why Sarah (serial Mom) Palin thought they were their allies, (;-O) like DUH! what an idiot...the small democratic state of Israel integrates their 'gay' soldiers constantly on the front lines in their constant battle for survival with no problems, the US generals need to take note of what a diciplined fighting force they are, it's those pesky fascist christian fundies always causing such unnecessary problems they need to be desexed so they can't breed
6. 2010-12-21 09:36  
=)
7. 2010-12-21 09:50  
when will we have this in singapore?
8. 2010-12-21 11:01  
finally,a good news :)
9. 2010-12-21 11:02  
finally,a good news :)
10. 2010-12-21 13:34  
So well spoken and answered by Dan! Hope he's recovering well with his anxiety attack.
11. 2010-12-21 14:51  
Merry Christmas to You, Your Family and Loved Ones.
Wishing you at Christmas time the very best there is,
Good Luck, Good Cheer and a Bright New Year and
I'd like to say, Have a Happy Christmas Day.

Best Wishes Always, Jeff

Love another people, understand another people,forget and for give another people As if you love yourself, you understand yourself, you forget and forgive yourself.
then you will wake and sleep happily all day and night.
12. 2010-12-21 15:29  
Finally this issue is about to over. Congratulations USA. We, Canadians have long realized, gay is just a human being. What they choose to have sex with is mainly personal choice like preference.

I am looking forward to hearing from a bigger victory in Gay Marriage in very near future. Come on, brother, Join Canada to legalize gay marriage. So far, there are only two English Speaking countries accept gay marriage, Iceland (2010) and Canada (2005).

Kiss kiss kiss, American cute gay soldiers. I love u all. God bless !
13. 2010-12-21 17:06  
USA...where democracy does not equate to equality. Doosh!!
14. 2010-12-21 18:56  
Glad this has happened, yet truly embarrassed by my country that it's always, ALWAYS so slow when it comes to dispensing equality, the supposed cornerstone of our nation. In a nation founded on the very principle of total equality, women couldn't even vote until 150 years after the nation's inception. Black people struggled unbelievably for even the most basic of civil rights. At one point in the US, a black person was considered as only 3/5ths of a person for the point of census-taking. Hard to believe!

GLBT issues are the last real minefield for civil rights in America, and it's taken 40+ years to even get to this point, so I'm glad to see DADT repealed, but ashamed it took so long and was so hard to make happen in the first place.

This article, by a straight man, says it far more eloquently and I encourage you guys to read it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitchell-bard/glad-to-see-dadt-gone-but_b_798820.html
15. 2010-12-23 02:20  
Don't forget that Gaga aired out a huge voice! Love u always, Gaga!
16. 2010-12-23 21:04  

i take this news with mixed feelings. nonetheless still a milestone in the quest to eliminate discrimination

i personally like what the President Obama said.
"I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known..."
17. 2010-12-24 01:21  
Let's hope the Singapore government catches on......or will it take them 17 years to realise how deep in the dark ages they are?
18. 2010-12-24 20:51  
Yes, good news indeed. Sometimes politicians do the right thing and live up to the courage they should have. In a year, no one will care and that is how it should be.

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