The End of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Abstract
Public Law103-160, commonly referred to as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” was a controversial law that prohibited homosexuals from serving in the military and prohibited the military from inquiring into a service member’s sexual preference. Since passage of this law in 1993, thousands of men and women have been discharged from military service despite many having rare and valuable military skills. While President Obama recently signed a repeal to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing homosexuals to serve openly, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and many other organizations, maintain their opposition. This paper examines arguments on both sides of the debate and explores the massive onsequence of the policy’s repeal for the military, veterans service organizations, and America as a nation.Keywords
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