One Year Ago Today
“This is done.”
One year ago, President Obama said those words as he signed into law the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). The mood at the signing ceremony was electric, history being made and a wrong being made right. It was like a family reunion with people who had been involved since before DADT, as well as the next generation of advocates and service members
The journey to that moment was a tumultuous one. It was the culmination of decades of hard work and advocacy, fueled by the sweat, and tears of thousands of individuals. As we celebrate one year since the signing ceremony, we'd like to reflect on the roller coaster ride, and what the future holds for LGBT service members.
The goose bumps can still be felt, when we remember watching the vote tally tick past 218 in May 2010 as Patrick Murphy's DADT repeal amendment was adopted to the House defense bill. The SLDN staff whether in the conference room or sitting in the Gallery on Capitol Hill, watched nervously, waiting for the votes to come in. In the office when it became clear that the amendment was going to pass, we jumped up and hugged each other with a child-like giddiness. The elation of that moment was absolutely amazing.
In September we continued to prepare for an upcoming vote in the Senate. Lady Gaga and service members joined us in Maine as thousands of residents gathered in support of the repeal of this law – hoping their Senators would do the same when it came time to a vote.
That elation and energy was followed by despair mid-September and again in December, as DADT repeal seemed to die by just a few votes in the Senate, both times. The staff gathered again, but the outcome was pretty clear. The votes had been counted and repeal was not going to be able to survive the threat of a filibuster.
Grief turned to anger, and a day after the second failed Senate vote we gathered on a cold, raw day outside the Capitol, shouting at the Senate to not go home for their holiday vacations until they had passed DADT repeal. Inside, gay and lesbian service members and veterans kept a round-the-clock silent vigil in the Senate gallery, looking down upon the legislators in quiet protest, and reminding them of who was to be affected because of the chamber's inaction.
And then, it broke and the pressure became too unbearable. With LGBT advocates, both the House and Senate-- Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike-- worked on a privileged motion, passing the first stand-alone LGB rights bill through both chambers in the course of 72 hours. The uncertainty, stress, and exhaustion over the course of just a few days had left a dizzying numbness. Had repeal actually been achieved? One had to keep pinching themselves just to believe it.
At the signing ceremony, the sense of pride and accomplishment was palpable. However, that feeling was tempered by a renewed sense of commitment to achieve what had not been won that day. We still need a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. We still need to ensure that lesbian and gay service members and veterans receive the same family benefits and support services as their straight counterparts. We still need to change the medical and conduct regulations so that qualified transgender patriots can serve their country. As we look back on 2010, we look forward to working with you to achieve these goals in 2012.
Happy Anniversary!
12-22-11 By SLDN Government Affairs Co-Directors, Jeremy Wilson-Simerman and Emily Tisch-Sussman, Esq. |
