Prez Signs DADT Repeal

...Sixty-six years ago, in the dense, snow-covered forests of Western Europe, Allied Forces were beating back a massive assault in what would become known as the Battle of the Bulge. And in the final days of fighting, a regiment in the 80th Division of Patton’s Third Army came under fire. The men were traveling along a narrow trail. They were exposed and they were vulnerable. Hundreds of soldiers were cut down by the enemy. And during the firefight, a private named Lloyd Corwin tumbled 40 feet down the deep side of a ravine. And dazed and trapped, he was as good as dead. But one soldier, a friend, turned back. And with shells landing around him, amid smoke and chaos and the screams of wounded men, this soldier, this friend, scaled down the icy slope, risking his own life to bring Private Corwin to safer ground. For the rest of his years, Lloyd credited this soldier, this friend, named Andy Lee, with saving his life, knowing he would never have made it out alone. It was a full four decades after the war, when the two friends reunited in their golden years, that Lloyd learned that the man who saved his life, his friend Andy, was gay. He had no idea. And he didn’t much care. Lloyd knew what mattered. He knew what had kept him alive; what made it possible for him to come home and start a family and live the rest of his life. It was his friend. And Lloyd’s son is with us today. And he knew that valor and sacrifice are no more limited by sexual orientation than they are by race or by gender or by religion or by creed; that what made it possible for him to survive the battlefields of Europe is the reason that we are here today. That's the reason we are here today.

So this morning, I am proud to sign a law that will bring an end to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It is a law - this law I’m about to sign will strengthen our national security and uphold the ideals that our fighting men and women risk their lives to defend. No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the military - regardless of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance - because they happen to be gay. No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder, in order to serve the country that they love.

As Admiral Mike Mullen has said, “Our people sacrifice a lot for their country, including their lives. None of them should have to sacrifice their integrity as well.” That’s why I believe this is the right thing to do for our military. That’s why I believe it is the right thing to do, period...

I want to express my gratitude to the men and women in this room who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Services. I want to thank all the patriots who are here today, all of them who were forced to hang up their uniforms as a result of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell - but who never stopped fighting for this country, and who rallied and who marched and fought for change. I want to thank everyone here who stood with them in that fight...

Now, with any change, there’s some apprehension. That’s natural. But as Commander-in-Chief, I am certain that we can effect this transition in a way that only strengthens our military readiness; that people will look back on this moment and wonder why it was ever a source of controversy in the first place. I have every confidence in the professionalism and patriotism of our service members. Just as they have adapted and grown stronger with each of the other changes, I know they will do so again. I know that Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, as well as the vast majority of service members themselves, share this view. And they share it based on their own experiences, including the experience of serving with dedicated, duty-bound service members who were also gay.

As one special operations warfighter said during the Pentagon’s review - this was one of my favorites - it echoes the experience of Lloyd Corwin decades earlier: “We have a gay guy in the unit. He’s big, he’s mean, he kills lots of bad guys.” “No one cared that he was gay.” And I think that sums up perfectly the situation.

Finally, I want to speak directly to the gay men and women currently serving in our military. For a long time your service has demanded a particular kind of sacrifice. You’ve been asked to carry the added burden of secrecy and isolation. And all the while, you’ve put your lives on the line for the freedoms and privileges of citizenship that are not fully granted to you. You’re not the first to have carried this burden, for while today marks the end of a particular struggle that has lasted almost two decades, this is a moment more than two centuries in the making.

There will never be a full accounting of the heroism demonstrated by gay Americans in service to this country; their service has been obscured in history. It’s been lost to prejudices that have waned in our own lifetimes. But at every turn, every crossroads in our past, we know gay Americans fought just as hard, gave just as much to protect this nation and the ideals for which it stands. There can be little doubt there were gay soldiers who fought for American independence, who consecrated the ground at Gettysburg, who manned the trenches along the Western Front, who stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima. Their names are etched into the walls of our memorials. Their headstones dot the grounds at Arlington.

And so, as the first generation to serve openly in our Armed Forces, you will stand for all those who came before you, and you will serve as role models to all who come after. And I know that you will fulfill this responsibility with integrity and honor, just as you have every other mission with which you’ve been charged...

Some of you remembered I visited Afghanistan just a few weeks ago. And while I was walking along the rope line... a young woman in uniform was shaking my hand and other people were grabbing and taking pictures. And she pulled me into a hug and she whispered in my ear, “Get Don't Ask, Don't Tell done.” And I said to her, “I promise you I will.” For we are not a nation that says, “don’t ask, don’t tell.” We are a nation that says, “Out of many, we are one.” We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot. We are a nation that believes that all men and women are created equal. Those are the ideals that generations have fought for. Those are the ideals that we uphold today. And now, it is my honor to sign this bill into law.

President Barack Obama, December 22, 2010.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repealed

"Repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell is the right thing to do whether you're liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, or independent. It is the right thing to do for our military and the right thing to do for our country. The sixty-five Senators who voted to correct this injustice showed that we’re still able to come together in a bipartisan way to fight for America’s best interests."

Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), the lead sponsor of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010, December 18, 2010.

Prez Lauds Senate DADT Repeal

"Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend. By ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love. As Commander-in-Chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known. And I join the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the overwhelming majority of service members asked by the Pentagon, in knowing that we can responsibly transition to a new policy while ensuring our military strength and readiness. I want to thank Majority Leader Reid, Senators Lieberman and Collins and the countless others who have worked so hard to get this done. It is time to close this chapter in our history. 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. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly. I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law." President Barack Obama, December 18, 2010.

House Votes DADT Repeal - Again

"It’s an historic day. As founder and Co-Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus in Congress, I can tell you that repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has been one of our Caucus’ top priorities and we have educated and cajoled and counted votes. Our Equality Caucus of 91 bipartisan Members has been moved to action by the stories of gay and lesbian military professionals whose lives and livelihoods have been damaged by Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. We have been moved to action as discharge after discharge have deprived our Armed Forces of the honorable service and needed skills of patriotic Americans who want to serve their country and be honest about who they are. Integrity is a hallmark of military service. Yet for 17 years, we have had a statutory policy that requires some in our military to conceal, deceive, and lie. In my opinion, that policy is un-American. This is also an important step in the march to full equality for LGBT Americans. Particularly so because ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ represents an instance where discrimination is written into our nations laws—a constant reminder of second-class citizenship.

I want to extend my gratitude to my colleagues here today: Mr. Murphy for his role in shepherding this bill through today; Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer for their tenacity in pushing this not just once, but twice, because it is the right thing to do; Major Almy, for your courage, your service to your country, and your willingness to tell you story. Now, let’s talk about the Senate. Our vote today is indeed an historic occasion, but we’re holding the celebration until the Senate takes up this bill and we’ve sent it to President Obama’s desk for his signature. Make no mistake: the House made a bold and very strong statement today that we’re ready to move forward and see this repeal through. The President is ready to move forward. The military is ready to move forward. The American people are ready to move forward. It now falls to the Senate to do the right thing! The arguments have been made, the evidence has been proffered, and, now, the House of Representatives has voted twice! The time is right for Congress to end this discriminatory policy once and for all!"

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), on House Vote (250-175) to Repeal Don’t Ask, Don't Tell, December 15, 2010.