U.S. Repeals Ban on Gays Serving Openly in Military

"It is time to close this chapter in our history,” said President Obama in a statement following the 65- 31 vote in the U.S. Senate. "It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed."

DADT was forged as a compromise

	President Clinton signed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy into law in 1993 as a compromise.

Since the beginning of the American armed forces, it has been an unwritten rule that gay soldiers must keep their sexual orientation hidden.

In 1950, President Harry Truman signed the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which set up discharge rules for gay soldiers.

President Bill Clinton signed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy into law in 1993 as a compromise between those who wanted to see gay men and women serve and those who argued that it would ignite tensions and damage morale.

The measure stated that while military officers would no longer ask recruits about their sexual orientation, "the military will discharge members who engage in homosexual conduct."  To date, more than 13, 000 troops have been discharged from the military under the policy.

Report finds troops OK with repeal

	Surveys conducted among military members about repealing "don't ask, don't tell" found that most troops support the policy's repeal.

In the months leading up to Congress’ landmark vote, the U.S. military released a report on attitudes toward gays serving in the military. The researchers polled the nation’s troops and found that 70 percent expected the end of "don't ask, don't tell" would have little or no effect on their units. 

The shift in attitude matches a shift in the American public as a whole.  According to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, 77 percent of Americans think gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military. That is up from 44 percent in 1993.

At the same time, the military's survey found that 30 percent of respondents overall - and between 40 and 60 percent of Marines - expressed concern or predicted a negative reaction if "don't ask, don't tell" went away.

Those concerns are "driven by misperceptions and stereotypes about what it would mean if gay service members were allowed to be 'open' about their sexual orientation," the researchers wrote. Such concerns are "exaggerated, and not consistent with the reported experiences of many service members," they said.

A staggered end to a controversial policy

	Defense Secretary Robert Gates will be a key part of slowly rolling out the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

The repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” won’t be implemented immediately. First, the Defense Department will draft policies to end its enforcement. Under law, those policies cannot affect troop readiness, cohesion or military recruitment and retention.

The military plans to slowly stagger the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell” across each of the five military branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

Last to change will most likely be the Marines, as Top General James Amos strongly opposed repealing the policy, citing that it would hinder “unit cohesion” and could be a “distraction” that might cost Marines their lives.

Democrats and a handful of Republicans voted “yes”

	Senator John McCain remains opposed to the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' and says it jeopardizes America's national security.

The Senate’s final vote, 55 Democrats and eight Republicans approved repealing the legislation. Thirty-one Republicans voted to uphold the policy.

“I don’t care who you love,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR.) “If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you shouldn’t have to hide who you are.” Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services committee, remains staunchly opposed to the repeal.

“I hope that when we pass this legislation that we will understand that we are doing great damage,” said McCain. “We could possibly, and as I have been told by literally thousands of members of the military, harm the battle effectiveness vital to the survival of our young men and women in the military.”

Lady Gaga and other personalities called for repeal

	Many celebrities, including Lady Gaga, called for the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' at their concerts and public events.

In recent months, pop-culture activists such as Lady Gaga were widely outspoken about repealing the ban. Gaga spoke about the issue at concerts and rallies nationwide. She tweeted extensively to her seven million followers about ending a policy that she and fellow activists labeled as government-sanctioned discrimination.

The president will sign the bill into law Christmas week.