WASHINGTON (AP) — The ban on gays in the military has stood for nearly a century.
In 60 days, after decades of discharges, lawsuits
and lobbying, that will change.
On Friday, President Barack Obama fulfilled a 2008
campaign pledge, formally ending the ban. After meeting with Defense Secretary
Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, the
president certified to Congress that repealing the ban would not jeopardize the
military's ability to fight.
"As commander in chief, I have always been
confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new
policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment,
retention and military effectiveness," Obama said in a statement.
"Service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to
serve our country."
Friday's milestone was expected to be reached under
the repeal law Congress passed in December. But homosexuality has been
prohibited in the military since World War I, and for years recruits were
screened and questioned about their sexual orientation.
Then-President Bill Clinton relaxed the law a bit
in 1993, saying the military could not ask if service members were gay. Gay
service members could be discharged only if their sexual orientation became
known. That became known as "don't ask, don't tell."
Obama's action means that effective Sept. 20, gay
service members will be able to openly acknowledge their sexual orientation.
And it opens the door for those discharged over the past 17 years under
Clinton's policy to re-apply to the military and possibly serve again.
Jeremy Johnson intends to do just that. The former
sailor served for 10 years in the Navy before coming out to his commanding
officer in 2007.
Johnson, who has been working with a recruiter for
months to return to the service, said he was initially bitter about leaving the
Navy. Now, he said, "I'm very excited. I think it's going to benefit a lot
of people ... It's been a full roller coaster ride for me."
For Zoe Dunning, Obama's decision was the
culmination of a nearly two-decade struggle. The retired U.S. Navy commander
won a legal battle to stay in the service after coming out as a lesbian in
January 1993. More than 13 years and two promotions later she retired in 2007.
"The day-to-day life of the military will not
change," Dunning said in a phone interview from California on Friday.
"However, it will change significantly for gay, lesbian and bisexual service
members, who no longer have to live in fear that this day may be the day they
get fired or investigated."
At Camp Pendleton, Calif., Marine Cpl. Jaime
Rincon, 21, said, "No one has to be scared anymore of who they are. We can
serve our country and not worry about repercussions."
Rincon, on active duty, said he was heading out
with a group of military friends to celebrate.
Repeal of the ban got mixed reviews from Congress,
which has been bitterly divided on the issue.
Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich.,
hailed it as the end of a discriminatory policy.
"Gay and lesbian service members have fought
and died for our country and are serving in our military now," said Levin,
noting that the policy has required them to conceal their sexual orientation.
"There is no way to justify a policy that requires our young men and women
in uniform to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow
citizens."
But House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard
P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., criticized the action as flawed and said
his panel will vigorously oversee the process as it unfolds.
"I am disappointed the president hasn't
properly addressed the concerns expressed by military service chiefs before
certifying the repeal," said McKeon. "Their worry that the combat
readiness of our force could be placed at risk, particularly those serving on
the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq, must be taken seriously."
Advocacy groups that fought for the change called
Friday's decision long-overdue, while opponents said it's a political payoff to
left-leaning gay and lesbian activists.
Among military leaders there was initial reluctance
from those who worried that repeal could cause a backlash and erode troop
cohesion on the battlefield.
But two weeks ago, after reviewing the training of
nearly 2 million troops, the chiefs of the military services told Panetta that
ending the ban would not affect military readiness. On Friday, officials said
they will continue to monitor the process and makes changes as needed.
Pentagon officials said Friday that they will
review military policies and benefits during the next 60 days to iron out legal
and technical details, including how the repeal will affect housing, military
transfers and other health and social benefits.
Clifford Stanley, undersecretary of defense for
personnel and readiness, said "there will be zero tolerance for
harassment, violence or discrimination of any kind."
In most cases, officials said the guidelines
require that gays and lesbians be treated like any other member of the
military, and the Pentagon will not set up separate barracks or bathroom
facilities based on sexual orientation.
There will be differences, however. Same sex
partners will not get the same housing and other benefits as married couples.
Instead, they are more likely to be treated like unmarried couples.
Service members may also designate their same-sex
partners as beneficiaries for insurance and other benefits — something they may
have avoided earlier for fear it would cause their dismissal.
One of the thornier issues is gay marriage.
An initial move by the Navy earlier this year to
train chaplains about same-sex civil unions in states where they are legal was
shelved after more than five dozen Congress members objected. The Pentagon says
the issue is still under review.
Associated Press writers Amanda Barrett in New
York, Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md., Julie Watson in San Diego and Sagar
Meghani in Washington, contributed to this report.
Copyright
2011 The Associated Press.
