President Barack Obama on Friday
confirmed that he and top Pentagon official have certified that the
military is ready to end “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”
Gay and bisexual troops will be able to
serve openly starting on September 20.
(Related: Obama,
military certify DADT repeal.)
The president issued the following
statement on certification of repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”
“Today, we have taken the final major
step toward ending the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
law that undermines our military readiness and violates American
principles of fairness and equality. In accordance with the
legislation that I signed into law last December, I have certified
and notified Congress that the requirements for repeal have been met.
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will end, once and for all, in 60
days—on September 20, 2011.”
“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. Today’s
action follows extensive training of our military personnel and
certification by Secretary Panetta and Admiral Mullen that our
military is ready for repeal. As of September 20th, service members
will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our
country. Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and
skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or
lesbian.”
“I want to commend our civilian and
military leadership for moving forward in the careful and deliberate
manner that this change requires, especially with our nation at war.
I want to thank all our men and women in uniform, including those who
are gay or lesbian, for their professionalism and patriotism during
this transition. Every American can be proud that our extraordinary
troops and their families, like earlier generations that have adapted
to other changes, will only grow stronger and remain the best
fighting force in the world and a reflection of the values of justice
and equality that the define us as Americans.”