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The Wright Perspective℠
Social Commentary from the C-Suite to Main Street℠
A Blog by Gary Wright II
DADT Repeal is now official - A new day for equal human rights
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
Today the repeal of the military Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) is finally in effect. After today, the brave gays and lesbians serving our country will no longer be forced to serve in silence. Every country that has lifted the ban has strengthened their military in the process, and the United States will be no exception. I do find it sad that the US, the land of liberty, took so long to achieve equal human rights for the very same people risking their lives to preserve the freedoms that we as citizens enjoy. Freedom that we many times take for granted.
Some say this policy will "let gays into the military." We mustn't forget that there are already over 65,000 gays honorably serving in our military. We lost 14,000 of our qualified troops who became victims of the discriminatory DADT policy. It should also be noted that many heterosexual troops chose to leave the military, and many more citizens decided not to serve a country that discriminates based on sexual orientation.
Today ushers in a new era of equality for our country and it is a huge victory for all of the human rights activists who have fought against the DADT policy for over 17 years. I commend Aubrey Sarvis and the entire team at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN.org) for their never-ending support and tireless fight for repeal. Thank you to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC.org), Lady Gaga, and to everyone else who has supported this effort.
Though the DADT policy is now repealed, we still need to restore the honor to the 14,000 troops who were wrongfully discharged under DADT. There are still going to be many lingering issues that will need to be resolved, but the hardest part is now over. SLDN will play a huge role in setting things right for all of the victims of the DADT policy.
Today is not just a victory for activists and the LGBT community. It is a victory for every American. It is a victory for everyone who believes in achieving equal human rights.
Thank you to all of my family and friends who have supporting me during my personal legal challenge of the DADT policy. I'll be sharing the story of my battle against DADT very soon!
Best regards,
-- Gary Wright II