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President Obama Has Repealed ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’

12/22/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

It’s done! Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is officially behind us. There will be a new generation that will read about it in their history textbooks and won’t remember the discriminatory policy that hunted down and persecuted LGBT servicemen and women.

President Obama signed the repeal this morning and delivered an eloquent speech about the value LGBT military members. He thanked Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats and Republicans that helped pass the repeal. Obama signed the bill with a smile and gave the cameras a thumbs up when he was done.

Servicemembers can’t celebrate today by coming out though. The bill won’t take effect for 60 days, so it is still possible to be discharged under DADT.

UPDATE: The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has released this statement regarding the signing:

“In signing this bill today, President Obama delivered on a defining civil rights measure for our country and for gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members who have been silenced for far too long. Clearly, this is President Obama’s Lyndon Johnson moment in history. A measure of dignity has been restored to thousands of service members on active duty, and to over a million gay veterans who served in silence. This historic moment is about those service members and their service,” said Aubrey Sarvis, Army veteran and executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
 
“President Obama was decisive and forceful in steering the course as he brought along critical stakeholders, including the Defense Department. Now, it’s on to finishing the job at the Pentagon. Troops remain at risk under the law. We respectfully renew our call for Secretary Gates to use his authority to suspend all ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ investigations and discharges during this limbo period. Until there is certification and until the 60-day implementation period must be wrapped up no later than the first quarter of 2011.”
 
“This victory would not have been possible without several tenacious Congressional leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. In the Senate we saw remarkable determination by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Chairman Carl Levin and Senators Lieberman, Mark Udall, Gillibrand, Collins and so many others,” said Sarvis.
 

Stay tuned to LGR for more coverage of this historic event, including the reactions of the LGBT community.  

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