Center Blog

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is history. Today, September 20, 2011, marks the official end of the law that prohibited gay, lesbian and bisexual people from serving openly in the U.S. Armed Forces.  President Obama signed the law repealing  “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” last December.

More than 13,000 gay and lesbian military personnel have been expelled from the armed services for coming out about their sexual orientation since the law took effect in 1993 under then-President Bill Clinton.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network released this statement, applauding the end of the discriminatory law:

“Today marks the official end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and is an historic milestone along the journey to achieving LGBT equality in America’s military. Thanks to veterans, active duty, leaders, allies and supporters everywhere, this is a monumental day for our service members and our nation. Indeed, we have taken a tremendous leap forward for LGBT equality in the military.

“Our work is far from done, but today we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of our patriots as we look forward to a new era of military service – one that honors the contributions of all qualified Americans who have served or who wish to serve.”

SLDN reports that one hundred events are taking place in all 50 states as repeal supporters celebrate the end of this law. Here is information about the event taking place in New York City:

New York City
September 20, 2011: 7 until 9 p.m.
http://www.sldn.org/NewYorkEvent
Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street, New York, NY 10014

Special Guests:
Speaker Christine C. Quinn (D – District 3 – New York City Council)
Brenda S. “Sue” Fulton, West Point ’80, Executive Director of Knights Out
Katherine Miller, OutServe Board of Directors, former West Point Cadet
Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, Producers/Directors, “The Strange History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” premiering on HBO, Tuesday, September 20
Mati Weiderpass, SLDN Board of Directors, former US Army Captain
Darren Manzella, SLDN client, former US Army Sergeant

The Center congratulations all of the activists whose tireless efforts led to this historic day, and pays special tribute to the LGBT people who have served and continue to serve courageously in our military. 

This morning we here at the Center were elated to watch President Barack Obama make history for our movement when he signed legislation repealing the 17 year old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. Last weekend the U.S. Senate voted 65-31 to overturn the law following previous action by the House; this paved the way for political and military leaders to begin planning the certification and implementation process to allow gay and lesbian people to serve our county openly. Since the discriminatory law was enacted in 1993 more than 14 thousand gay and lesbian service members have lost their jobs.

The Center has heard countless stories of the brave men and women who defended our country, but were forced to hide who they are. We’ve in fact offered support services to many of these individuals who are coping with the effects of discriminatory policies and wrong-headed double standards. We’ve also hosted a number of events in recent years, giving voice to those speaking out against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and advocating for repeal of the law. This past November alone the Center hosted several programs on the topic, including a robust panel discussion with key thought leaders, a screening of the documentary, “A Marine Story,” a compelling photo exhibit, “Proud to Serve,” and a special night of book readings from LGBT Marine Corps veterans.

The Center is the premiere space for our community to come together, share ideas and plan action around the most pressing inequalities facing us, including “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” And we will continue to be that nexus for LGBT people and our allies on all of our most important issues of the day. Therefore, we applaud the President for fulfilling his campaign promise to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and we thank those in Congress who voted to repeal this law, particularly New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY). The New York Times editorial board summed it up well, writing: “After the transformative vote, Mr. Obama said thousands of men and women would no longer have to live a lie in order to serve their country. As they begin this new chapter in their service, their country too will find itself transformed for the better.”

Glennda Testone

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