Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal

An act repealing the “don’t ask don’t tell policy” in the Armed Forces was passed by the House of Representatives on December 15, 2010 with a vote of 250 to 175, and by the Senate on December 18 with a vote of 65 to 31.  This act ends a 17 year policy of banning gay and lesbian service members from serving openly in the military.  President Obama has applauded this act by stating that, “no longer will many thousands be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.”

This act, passed in December 2010, does not immediately repeal the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy but provides for repeal of the policy to be effective 60 days after the Secretary of Defense has received the Department of Defense’s comprehensive review on the implementation of the repeal.  In addition, the repeal is on hold until the Department of Defense has created adequate policies and regulations to exercise proper discretion when implementing such repeal.

However on January 28, 2011 the Pentagon rolled a more definitive plan for the integration of openly gay and lesbian military personnel into the armed forces, which would go in effect in the third quarter of 2011.  The new addition calls for a three month plan that incorporates three mandatory levels of training for troops, commanders, administrator, and recruiters.  The first level requires leaders in the armed forces to answer detailed questions about the new policy, the second level requires senior officers to enforce the policy and observe troops response to it, and the third level consists of general training of all troops on the new policy.  Only 60 days after this three step plan is completed, and the president and military officers sign off on the ability of the military to accept the policy, will the actual repeal become law.