Obama Accomplishments pt18: Repeal of DADT

Obama Administration Accomplishments List

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• Accomplishment:  Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) (ref).

• What does it mean?
  Repealed the ban on gays and lesbians openly serving in the military (ref).

• Why does it matter?
  "Out of Many, We Are One." This is the English translation of the Latin "E Pluribus Unum," the motto in the Seal of the United States (ref). Oft quoted by President Obama, this phrase has never seemed more appropriate than in his speech on the day of the DADT repeal (ref).
  
  Gay and lesbian men and women risking their lives in combat finally can serve without having to hide who they are, or worry about the possibility of being discovered and discharged from service, as were 10,500 brave soldiers between 1997 and 2008 who were discovered to be gay or lesbian (ref). As Air Force Lt. Josh Seefried recounts an experience of being blackmailed by an instructor who discovered Seefried was gay (ref), it is quickly apparent that Seefried's experience was highly unlikely to have been unique.
  
  It's so strange to think of the few who persist in the belief that openly gay men and women serving would somehow damage the group dynamic. Will some soldiers be uncomfortable with it? Sure. Some soldiers were and still are uncomfortable serving with soldiers of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than that of the majority. I've always believed we as a society exist to learn from our past mistakes and constantly better ourselves. The military represents a group of people who train to overcome the most severe of obstacles. Accepting the value of a person with a different sexual orientation should be easy compared to everything else they experience and, from what I've read, the majority of soldiers agree.
  
  It's impossible for me to distance myself from this issue. To see someone suffer because of who they are, especially when they are sacrificing so much already, is unbearable. On the day of the DADT repeal, I watched YouTube videos by soldiers who finally were able to come out, and I cried. If you haven't seen them, I highly recommend watching Marcus Prince's video, Happy Repeal Day, or this soldier telling his dad, which was featured on the Daily Show celebration on 09/20/2011. These videos highlight everything we hoped to accomplish.
  
  ***ALERT: Legislation has been presented in Oklahoma that would bar gay, lesbian, and bisexuals from serving in the Oklahoma National Guard! This goes beyond the DADT discrimination that caring Americans, human rights organizations, and the Obama Administration worked so hard to repeal, as it would allow government officials to directly question sexual orientation. Please don't let all our accomplishments be in vain for the service members and their families who live in Oklahoma. Please go to HRC to learn about how you can help. Thank you!***