DADT ending hailed by Obama, other lawmakers
President Obama and other Washington lawmakers today hailed the ending of the military's ban on openly gay servicemen, calling it a civil rights victory and noting their respective roles in ending the policy.
The "don't ask, don't tell" policy (DADT) officially ended at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. Congress repealed DADT last December, and President Obama signed a certification of the repeal in July. The repeal went into effect today after a 60-day waiting period.
In a statement released by the White House, Mr. Obama said he was proud to sign the repeal into law because he knew it would enhance national security, increase military readiness and bring the nation closer to its principles of equality and fairness.
"As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love," he said. "As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members."
Mr. Obama called today a tribute to those on both sides of the aisle who fought for the repeal, the civilian and military leaders who directed the transition, and the men and women in uniform.
Obama for America, the president's re-election team, released a video commending the end of the policy. Retired Army Major Gen. Dennis Laich, who describes himself as an "old, straight bald guy who spent 35 years in the military," says in the video that DADT hurt military readiness. "The fact of the matter is, he delivered," Laich says with respect to Mr. Obama's commitment to ending the policy.
In an email to supporters, Obama for America Campaign Manager Jim Messina called the repeal "one of the administration's signature achievements."
Meanwhile, a group of bipartisan senators including Sens. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Carl Levin, D-Mich., are holding a news conference this afternoon with service members and gay rights advocates to tout the repeal.
In an article in the Bangor Daily News, gay rights advocates credit Collins for pushing for the DADT repeal.
"I felt strongly that this was a matter of justice and of our country not losing the talents of patriotic Americans wanting to serve," the Republican senator told the newspaper.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., released a statement today hailing the repeal, saying, "A barrier has been lifted, and our military and our nation will be stronger because of it." Boxer's office noted the California senator opposed DADT since its inception in the early 1990's and was one of the original co-sponsors of legislation to repeal it.
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Md., also released a statement calling today's repeal "long awaited."
"I was proud to help lead the effort last year to repeal this discriminatory policy once and for all," he said. "With this step, our military is surely strengthened at a time when we face great threats to our security and continued demands on our troops."
While the policy has now officially changed, gay rights advocates say they will still fight for the equal treatment of gay servicemen. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) will still prohibit gay service members and their spouses from receiving all of the same benefits other troops receive. The Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group, pointed out that gay service members will still receive limited benefits in areas like military family housing and access to legal services.
The military said yesterday it is fully prepared for the policy change.
