Wednesday, December 22, 2010

DADT Is Dead



Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the policy of keeping gays and lesbians in the military closet is over:

President Obama on Wednesday signed into law a historic bill that will reverse the ban on gay men and women serving openly in United States military forces.

The White House described the legislation as equivalent to civil-rights-era laws that expanded the rights of minorities. The signing ceremony included so many supporters of the move and legislators who approved the bill that it had to be moved to the Department of the Interior, as the White House is full of holiday decorations and tours.

"I couldn't be prouder," said Mr. Obama of the repeal of the current "don't ask don't tell" policy. The repeal law, he said, "will strengthen our national security and uphold the ideals that our fighting men and women risk their lives to defend."
This is good news. As long as the United States is going to have a military force, those who wish and are able to serve should be allowed to do so without carrying a gigantic closet with them. In any case, DADT was a truly odd two-faced policy, consisting of pretending on all sides.