‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ officially dead

Homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals are now permitted to serve openly in the U.S. military and can be recruited for enlistment while openly expressing their sexual orientation.

The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in effect since December 1993, which allowed homosexuals to serve only if they kept their sexual orientation secret, ended at 12:01 a.m. yesterday, according to the Department of Defense. The change came over the objections of some military religious leaders, including the Catholic Archbishop for Military Services.

Servicemen and servicewomen who were discharged from the military under the old policy will also be allowed to re-enlist provided they meet current enlistment standards and depending on the needs of the military, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday.

A statement by President Barack Obama, who signed a law repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in December 2010, was posted on the Department of Defense website. “Today, the discriminatory law known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is finally and formally repealed,” said the president. “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. As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service.”