Senate and House Pass Repeal Amendments

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - This evening in Washington D.C., the Senate and House voted to pass amendments containing language pertaining to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy.

The Senate Armed Services Committee passed the amendment (16-12) and the House passed a similar amendment (234-194). Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) introduced the amendment to both committees this week.

The amendment’s language calls for a delay in DADT repeal pending the result of the Pentagon's Comprehensive Review Working Group study. Repeal would be contingent on certification by President Obama, Defense Secretary Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mullen based on the study’s findings. In the meantime, LGB servicemembers would remain subject to the policy’s statutes.

“The road to military equality has been long and we still have a ways to go,” said SVV President Tyson Redhouse, “the provisions of the amendment still do not provide protection to LGB servicemembers. Additionally, the proposed delay following the study’s completion leaves a window of time for our leaders to change their views for repeal. True, this is a step in a forward direction, but it is the first of many and we need to keep our heads clear for what will come next. We must proceed with cautious optimism.”

The “Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell” policy was implemented during the Clinton Administration in 1993. It stated that LGB men and women could serve so long as they did not make statements or engage in acts of homosexuality. Since its implementation, the policy has discharged thousands of men and women for being gay. For more information on the policy, visit the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) website at http://www.sldn.org.