The US military policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), which required gay and lesbian personnel to keep their sexuality secret, came to an end on this day in 2011.
Under DADT, the US military discharged an estimated 14,000 personnel between 1993 and 2011. Introduced by President Bill Clinton as a compromise, the policy allowed gay and lesbian Americans to serve in the military provided they did not openly disclose their sexual orientation. The policy limited the military’s ability to ask personnel about their sexuality (“don’t ask”) as long as service members did not reveal it (“don’t tell”).
On September 20, 2011, the repeal of the controversial policy officially took effect, allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly without fear of dismissal because of their sexual orientation.
President Barrack Obama signed the legislation repealing the policy the previous December, but the change 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.
