Gillibrand lauds DADT repeal

By FRITZ MAYER

WASHINGTON, DC — There were lots of cheers when the U.S. Senate voted 65 to 31 on December 18, to repeal the Don’t Ask Don’t, Tell (DADT) policy, that allowed gay and lesbian citizens to serve in the military only if they kept their sexual orientation a secret.

But NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was cheering perhaps a bit louder than others. Immediately after the vote she sent an email to supporters applauding the move and taking credit for helping to move the agenda forward.

She wrote, “It’s been a long, hard road, and I couldn’t have done it without your support. Yes, I’ve always known that the American people are overwhelmingly in favor of repeal. But you’ve given me what no poll ever could—the inspiration and encouragement to keep pressing on.”

Gillibrand was one of those fighting for the end of DADT. She shone a spotlight on the case of Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate who was kicked out of the army for saying that he was gay. She also pressed for senate hearings on the DADT policy.

One analyst wrote that the DADT battle was important in helping Gillibrand solidify her position within New York State’s traditional liberal base. Steve Kornacki, a writer for the online news publication Capitol, wrote that since the beginning of her senate career, Gillbrand “had been pleading with gay-rights leaders to consider her an ally; this was her chance to prove that she really was. It also promised to boost her overall image with liberal primary voters and her reputation with high-end Democratic donors around New York City, among whom DADT repeal, and gay rights in general, was particularly important.”

Kornacki argues that the DADT helps add to the possibility that the career of the junior senator from New York could be a long one.

Of course, Gillibrand was not alone in her support for the repeal of DADT. Senator Charles Schumer also voted for it, as did Pennsylvania senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey. Casey said in a statement, “Any qualified American willing to risk his or her life for their country should be permitted to serve free of discriminatory treatment and should not have to lie in order to serve their country.”

President Barack Obama signed the bill on December 22. Once the policy is implemented by the military, openly gay and lesbian citizens will be able to serve.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, there are an estimated 66,000 members of the military and one million veterans who are gay or lesbian. In 2009, 428 members of the armed forces were discharged or released as a result of the application of the DADT. Since the DADT policy was established in 1994, more than 13,000 members have been discharged or released solely as a consequence of their sexual orientation.