Don T Tell Repeal Act Analysis

When Barack Obama, a liberal democrat, campaigned for the presidency in 2008, he pledged to overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and to allow men and women of any sexuality to serve openly in the military. Obama stayed faithful to his pledge and signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act on December 22, 2010 (Britannica). The bill then took effect on September 20, 2011. At the time the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act went into effect, there were only six states where a gay couple could legally wed, but many were in the process of fighting for this right. The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act was passed at a time in America when there was a shift in ideology regarding same sex marriage. From 2001 to 2011, the percentage of American adults who opposed …show more content…
When the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 was passed, it was revealed that the majority of military officials did not think integrating homosexuals into the armed forces would affect morale. It was also revealed that the United States had been willing to pay unnecessary expenses in order to keep the military from integrating homosexuals, and that the country as a whole was becoming more liberalized and accepting of the LGBT community. One of the reasons behind the passing of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy of 1993 was the fear that integrating homosexuals into the Armed Forces would “create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability” (Don't Ask, Don't Tell). Under the terms of the law, homosexuals serving in the military were not allowed to openly discuss their sexual orientation or engage in sexual activity, and commanding officers were not permitted to question service members on their sexual orientation. President Bill Clinton introduced the DADT policy as a way for gays …show more content…
The Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 allowed gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, and those with any other sexual preference to serve openly in the military. Executive Order 9981 ended discrimination and segregation based on race, color, creed, or national origin in all branches of the United States Armed Services (Ray). Both of these acts came into place at a time when they were not applicable to the rest of the country, and therefore essentially acted as a platform to support equality on a national level. Although passed over fifty years apart, these two acts have nearly the same intent and desired outcome. Both of these acts were passed with the sole intent of eliminating discrimination and promoting equality throughout all branches of the United States Armed

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