Ten years prior today, a great incredible was remedied and a tremendous weight was finally lifted off the shoulders of tens of thousands of dedicated American assistance individuals. The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which formally barred gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members from openly serving, helped move our nation closer to its foundational promise of equality, dignity, and opportunity for all. It was the right thing to do. Also, it showed by and by that America is at its best when we lead not by the case of our force, but rather by the force of our model.
In spite of presenting with extraordinary honor and courage throughout our history, more than 100,000 American service members have been discharged because of their sexual orientation or gender identity—including some 14,000 under Don’t Ask, Don’t said. A considerable lot of these veterans got what is known as "other than fair" releases, barring them and their families from the crucially significant administrations and advantages they had forfeited such a huge amount to acquire.
As a U.S. Congressperson, I supported allowing service members to serve openly, and as Vice President, I was proud to champion the repeal of this policy and to stand beside President Obama as he signed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act into law. As President, I am respected to be Commander-in-Chief of the strongest and most inclusive military in our nation’s history. Today, our military doesn’t just welcome LGBTQ+ service members—it is led at the highest levels by brave LGBTQ+ veterans, including Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Shawn Skelly, who served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I was gratified to appoint the first openly gay Senate-confirmed Cabinet member, Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve and Afghanistan veteran who joined the military under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. And during my first week in office, I proudly delivered my pledge to repeal the discriminatory ban on open service by patriotic transgender service persons.
On this day and consistently, I am grateful for the entirety of the LGBTQ+ administration individuals and veterans who reinforce our military and our country. We should respect their penance by proceeding with the battle for full uniformity for LGBTQ+ individuals, including by at last passing the Equality Act and satisfying our most elevated upsides of equity and equity for all. learn more
