More than 14,500 people were dismissed from the United States Armed Forces during the past 18 years for violating the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, or DADT. Dismissals based on sexual orientation were officially repealed Tuesday.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” was enacted in 1993 and prohibited non-heterosexual people from revealing their sexual orientations while serving in the military.
President Barack Obama certified that the Armed Forces were ready to repeal DADT after a 60-day waiting period beginning July 22. That waiting period ended Tuesday, allowing members of the Armed Forces to be open about their orientations.
“I think it’s going to allow current service members to live more openly,” said Mickey Hart, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center. “Just repealing this is one step to helping people understand LGBT concerns.”
According to the Department of Defense, the repeal of DADT entitles service members to an environment free of harassment based on their sexual orientations. It also prevents personnel who are opposed to serving with openly gay and lesbian service members from refusing duty on those grounds.
Though this change of policy has met some resistance, a 2010 Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 75 percent of Americans support gays serving openly in the military. Army ROTC cadet Jess Growney, a junior studying exercise physiology, said he believes the repeal will meet little resistance at Ohio University.
“With every big change, there comes repercussions, but it just depends on how people deal with it — it depends on where you are,” Growney said. “Here at OU, I think it will be a very smooth transition. I don’t think anyone will really have a problem with it. But nationwide, there might be areas where it’s a huge change.”
For years, organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network have worked to overturn DADT. The Human Rights Campaign mobilized almost 20,000 veterans to speak in favor of the repeal. The organization also sent 625,000 emails to Congress along with 50,000 handwritten letters requesting the policy be abandoned.
The repeal of DADT is an important day for American history, said Paul DeMiglio, senior communications manager for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
“It marks the official end of this discriminatory law,” DeMiglio said. “It’s a historic milestone along the journey to full LGBT equality in our military.”
Though DADT’s repeal grants some rights to LGBT service members, it does not address every concern, Hart said.
“It doesn’t add sexual orientation to the protected status. It just ends the current policy,” he said. “So you can be open, but it doesn’t open the way to serve people who may be in more of a domestic partnership, for their partners to get benefits. … So, while it’s a step forward, it could definitely be stronger.”
Rather than entice new recruits from the LGBT community, Hart said, repealing the policy is more likely to benefit current members of the Armed Forces.
“I don’t think that lifting this we’re going to see a whole rush of LGBT people signing up for the military,” Hart said. “I think what we’ll see more is people who are already in the military being able to be a little bit more open about their lives. It does create more equity that you get to be your authentic self.”
Those former service members discharged from the military under DADT are eligible to apply for re-entry now that the policy has been repealed. The repeal, however, might not be the retribution those affected by the policy hoped for, Hart said.
“I think they’ll be happy for current and future generations of military personnel,” Hart said. “But I think it’s probably going to feel like too little too late.”
Though DADT’s repeal does not signify complete equality for LGBT service members, it does encourage respect for all members of the military, DeMiglio said.
“It will honor the contributions of all qualified Americans, of all those who have served or wish to serve,” DeMiglio said.
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