As of September 20, 2011, the United States Military's policy banning gay, lesbian and bisexual people from serving in the armed forces is history. Literally.
As a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, I know firsthand the toll that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has had on our military and on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. While serving in the Marine Corps, I was “outed” as being gay and subsequently investigated for being gay. Since then, I have heard many heartbreaking stories of respected, dedicated service members from all branches of the military being investigated and discharged for nothing more than being who they are, gay Americans. Sexual orientation should have never been allowed to keep us from serving our country.
The repeal of DADT is a pivotal moment in U.S. history and it's exactly the kind of history lesson that should be taught under the FAIR Education Act (SB 48), a bill authored by Senator Mark Leno, sponsored by Equality California, and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on July 13, 2011. I am honored to have helped draft the 2011 version of this bill and guide this important piece of legislation through the legislative process. It's also the kind of history that opponents of equality are trying to censor from history books and social studies classrooms.
President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today, allowing indefinite detention to be codified into law. As you know, the White House had threatened to veto an earlier version of the NDAA but reversed course shortly before Congress voted on the final bill. While President Obama issued a signing statement saying he had “serious reservations” about the provisions, the statement only applies to how his administration would use it and would not affect how the law is interpreted by subsequent administrations.
