The End of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

The Takeaway

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the discriminatory 1993 law that allowed gays and lesbians to serve in the military so long as they kept their sexual  orientation  a secret is history. After months of preparation by the Pentagon, DADT was officially repealed on Tuesday at midnight. President Obama signed the repeal in December 2010. The Pentagon said that 97 percent of the military has undergone training for accepting the law. The military has been accepting applications from openly gay people for weeks, and investigations into the sexual  orientations  of current military personal have been halted. We speak with two men whose lives have been impacted by the policy.  Jase Daniels  was discharged from the Navy four years ago under DADT, and will begin serving again next week.  We’re also talking with an MH65 helicopter pilot with the coast guard. He’s appeared on our show in the past, always anonymously to protect his career. But he’s agreed to let us use his name today: Lt. Cmdr.  Zachery Matthews.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!