Obama reaffirmed his promise to repeal the US Army's ban on homosexual soldiers this month. But while gay activists across the country wait patiently for their right to serve in the army as openly homosexual, our Observer, a gay soldier who served in the sixties and seventies, explains why Obama needs the backing of Congress to fulfil his promise.
The "Don't ask don't tell" (DADT) legislation was pushed through by the Bill Clinton administration in 1993 after fierce opposition to a complete overturn of the ban. Although it meant that gay men could serve in the army, it did not allow them to be open about it, and intending to or actually engaging in sexual contact with members of the same sex remained a dischargeable offence, because "It 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."
Since then, close to 14,000 gay soldiers have been discharged from the US Army after admitting to being gay or being denounced as gay.
During a dinner held by the Human Rights Campaign on 10 October, President Obama reaffirmed his wish to scrap the law. The Senate Committee on Armed Service will hold a hearing on the DADT in November.Obama reaffirmed his promise to repeal the US Army's ban on homosexual soldiers this month.
