|
|
Tweet |
Open Gay Ban Repealed
"As of 20 September, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country. Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian."
- U.S president Barak Obama
U.S president Barak Obama has certified a repeal on the 'DADT' (Don't Ask, Don't tell) policy within the U.S military forces. The policy is due to end by September 20 this year.
Barak Obama claimed in his speech regarding the repeal that "As of 20 September, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country. Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian."
The DADT law has long been debated. Under the US policy of DADT, established in 1993, gay people could serve in the military but could not acknowledge their orientation. The military was forbidden to inquire but was permitted to expel service members found to be gay. Since then over 13,000 uniformed service men and women has been dismissed under the policy.
As of September 20th the U.S armed forces will join countries like the United Kingdom and Israel along with dozens of others, who allows openly gay persons in the military.