Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

(12/18/10) WASHINGTON (AP) - In a landmark for gay rights, the Senate on Saturday voted to let gays serve openly in the military, giving President Barack Obama the chance to fulfill a campaign promise and repeal the 17-year policy known as "don't ask, don't tell."

Obama was expected to sign it next week, although the change wouldn't take immediate effect. The legislation says the president and his top military advisers must certify that lifting the ban won't hurt troops' fighting ability. After that, there's a 60-day waiting period for the military.

"It is time to close this chapter in our history," Obama said in a statement after a test vote cleared the way for final action. "It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed."

The Senate vote was 65-31. The House had passed an identical version of the bill, 250-175, on Wednesday.

Repeal would mean that, for the first time in American history, gays would be openly accepted by the military and could acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out.

More than 13,500 service members have been dismissed under the 1993 law.

Rounding up a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate was a historic victory for Obama, who made repeal a campaign promise in 2008. It also was a political triumph for congressional Democrats who struggled in the final hours of the postelection session to overcome GOP objections on several legislative priorities before Republicans regain control of the House in January.

"As Barry Goldwater said, 'You don't have to be straight to shoot straight,"' said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., referring to the late GOP senator from Arizona.

Sen. John McCain, Obama's GOP rival in 2008, led the opposition. The Arizona Republican acknowledged he didn't have the votes to stop the bill and he blamed elite liberals with no military experience for pushing their social agenda on troops during wartime.

"They will do what is asked of them," McCain said of service members. "But don't think there won't be a great cost."

In the end, six GOP senators broke with their party on the procedural vote to let the bill move ahead and swung behind repeal after a recent Pentagon study concluded the ban could be lifted without hurting the ability of troops to fight.

Advocacy groups who lobbied hard for repeal hailed the vote as a significant step forward in gay rights. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network called the issue the "defining civil rights initiative of this decade."

Supporters of repeal filled the visitor seats overlooking the Senate floor, ready to protest had the bill failed.

"This has been a long fought battle, but this failed and discriminatory law will now be history," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign.

The Pentagon study found that two-thirds of service members didn't think changing the law would have much of an effect. But of those who did predict negative consequences, a majority were assigned to combat arms units. Nearly 60 percent of the Marine Corps and Army combat units, such as infantry and special operations, said in the survey they thought repealing the law would hurt their units' ability to fight.

The Pentagon's uniformed chiefs are divided on whether this resistance might pose serious problems.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos has said he thinks lifting the ban during wartime could cost lives.

"I don't want to lose any Marines to the distraction," he told reporters this week. "I don't want to have any Marines that I'm visiting at Bethesda (Naval Medical Center) with no legs be the result of any type of distraction."

Adm. Mike Mullen and Marine Gen. James Cartwright, the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, respectively, have said the fear of disruption is overblown. They note the Pentagon's finding that 92 percent of troops who believe they have served with a gay person saw no effect on their units' morale or effectiveness. Among Marines in combat roles who said they have served alongside a gay person, 84 percent said there was no impact.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

an awesome and way long waited victory.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

So happy about this small step towards equality. I only hope it continues.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

ETA: to clarify, just so that my post isn't taken the wrong way, *I* personally think gays should have always been allowed to be in the military. My statement above is simply saying that it is not accepted by many soldiers and worse, they have and WILL punish anyone who they know is gay. This is not opinion, it's based on what I've seen and heard first hand.

Message edited 12/18/2010 9:04:02 PM.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Posted by HomeIsWithU

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

ETA: to clarify, just so that my post isn't taken the wrong way, *I* personally think gays should have always been allowed to be in the military. My statement above is simply saying that it is not accepted by many soldiers and worse, they have and WILL punish anyone who they know is gay. This is not opinion, it's based on what I've seen and heard first hand.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Posted by heidla

Posted by HomeIsWithU

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

ETA: to clarify, just so that my post isn't taken the wrong way, *I* personally think gays should have always been allowed to be in the military. My statement above is simply saying that it is not accepted by many soldiers and worse, they have and WILL punish anyone who they know is gay. This is not opinion, it's based on what I've seen and heard first hand.

I understand what you are saying, but those men and women who are homosexual and choose to enlist know that the road ahead of them isn't going to be all sunshine and daisies. Nobody said that this would be an easy transition, but doing what is right often isn't the easy choice.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Posted by HomeIsWithU

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Posted by HomeIsWithU

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

ETA: to clarify, just so that my post isn't taken the wrong way, *I* personally think gays should have always been allowed to be in the military. My statement above is simply saying that it is not accepted by many soldiers and worse, they have and WILL punish anyone who they know is gay. This is not opinion, it's based on what I've seen and heard first hand.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Posted by HomeIsWithU

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

Message edited 12/18/2010 9:28:25 PM.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Posted by heidla

Posted by HomeIsWithU

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

ETA: to clarify, just so that my post isn't taken the wrong way, *I* personally think gays should have always been allowed to be in the military. My statement above is simply saying that it is not accepted by many soldiers and worse, they have and WILL punish anyone who they know is gay. This is not opinion, it's based on what I've seen and heard first hand.

I understand what you are saying, but those men and women who are homosexual and choose to enlist know that the road ahead of them isn't going to be all sunshine and daisies. Nobody said that this would be an easy transition, but doing what is right often isn't the easy choice.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Posted by MrsPJB2007

Posted by HomeIsWithU

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

ETA: to clarify, just so that my post isn't taken the wrong way, *I* personally think gays should have always been allowed to be in the military. My statement above is simply saying that it is not accepted by many soldiers and worse, they have and WILL punish anyone who they know is gay. This is not opinion, it's based on what I've seen and heard first hand.

Perhaps now that they can serve openly -- there will be more tolerance and less retaliation from ignorant people who want to beat on someone just because of what they do behind closed doors.

(Not saying you are like this -- the ones you are referring to.)

I don't think a ban should be kept in effect, to keep the gay bashers happy....instead they should be shamed and educated. I'm sure this argument was used years ago, concerning desegregating the military years ago -- that it should not be done since it will just cause lots of white soldiers retaliating against black soldiers. That rationale was wrong then, and it's wrong now.

My family has several members of the armed forces in it, and all of them have essentially said the same thing: As long as the person next to me has my back when it counts, I don't give a rat's @ss who they love.

That is what it should be about...not some archaic ignorant mindset that has been in place due to the insecurity of homophobic people.

How is it right that one can die for this country but not live openly as who they are doing it? If that doesn't go against EVERYTHING that we claim our country stands for, well I just don't know what does.

Re: Senate votes to overturn military gay ban

Posted by HomeIsWithU

I'm going to be the odd one out and say that this was a mistake. I'm all for gay rights, but as an ex-Army wife all I'm going to say is that this is going to be the cause of a lot of violence and brutality in the military now. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

ETA: to clarify, just so that my post isn't taken the wrong way, *I* personally think gays should have always been allowed to be in the military. My statement above is simply saying that it is not accepted by many soldiers and worse, they have and WILL punish anyone who they know is gay. This is not opinion, it's based on what I've seen and heard first hand.