Editor’s Note: By a vote of 65-31, the Senate on Saturday voted to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the Clinton-era policy that prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. The bill now heads to President Obama who is expected to sign it into law. This report will be updated shortly.
Washington — The military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy toward gays moved a critical step closer to repeal Saturday as the Senate voted 63-33 to cut off debate on the legislation.
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to approve ending the 17-year-old ban on gays serving openly in the military, and the overwhelming Senate vote is a strong signal that it’s close to being overturned.
Six Republicans — Mark Kirk of Illinois, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, George Voinovich of Ohio, Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine — joined 55 Democrats and two independents in backing the measure.
If the bill is passed, which is expected by Sunday night, President Barack Obama is expected to sign it. The Pentagon would then consider how it could be implemented, and officials have said they will move expeditiously but carefully.
Though Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have backed repeal, some military service leaders have been opposed.
Pentagon officials have said the new policy would take effect only after policies were put in place that would not harm morale and recruiting.
Still, many were not convinced that allowing gays to serve openly would work.
The Defense Department earlier this month reported that in an eight-month study of more than 115,000 military personnel, 70 percent said ending the ban on gays serving openly would have a positive or neutral impact.
But combat unit personnel were more skeptical, as 58 percent of Marines and 48 percent of Army respondents said ending the ban would have negative consequences. A substantial minority also said repeal could affect morale, training and whether they would stay in the military. Marines voiced the loudest opposition, the survey found.
“I’d like a little less ambiguity,” said Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, “before doing something this significant in the middle of two wars.”
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $86,000 in one-time donations and to add 1260 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy