The Senate on Saturday voted to repeal the Pentagon’s ban on
gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military.
By a vote of 65 to 31 and following House approval, the Senate
sent the bill to President Obama, who had campaigned on
ending the policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which
allows gay members of the armed forces to serve only if they
keep their sexual orientation a secret.
More than 12,500 service members have been discharged since
the policy was mandated by Congress in 1993.
A Pentagon report released on Nov. 30 concluded that allowing gays to
serve openly in the armed forces presents a low risk to the
military’s effectiveness, even at a time of war, and that 70
percent of service members believe that the impact of
repealing the law would be either positive, mixed or of no
consequence at all.
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