‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ -The US military policy which required gay and lesbian personnel to keep their sexuality a secret came to an end on this day in 2011.
Under DADT, the US military fired an estimated 14,000 defence personnel between 1993 and 2011. US President Bill Clinton introduced the policy as a compromise to allow homosexual servicemen and women serve in the military, it limited the military’s ability to ask members about their sexuality (don’t ask) as long as homosexual members didn’t reveal it (don’t tell).
On September 20, 2011 the US Congress removed the controversial legislation, finally allowing openly gay US defence personnel to come out and not be fired.
President Barrack Obama signed the declaration ending the policy the previous December, but it did not come into effect until 20th September 2011.
In OUTinPerth’s September 2011 edition Benn Dorrington spoke to Dan Choi, one of the prominent campaigners behind the legislative change.
