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Senate OKs Homosexuals In Military On December 18, both of North Carolina’s U.S. Senators joined the majority in voting to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy that prevents the open practice of homosexuality in the United States’ armed forces. By a final vote of 65–31, the Senate approved the stand-alone version of a controversial repeal bill that will now go to President Obama for his signature. Sen. Richard Burr (R–NC) and Sen. Kay Hagan (D–NC) both voted in favor of the bill. Burr was one of eight Republicans to support the latest attempt to repeal DADT. President Obama has consistently called for Congress to repeal the nearly two decades old policy, which was put in place in 1993 under President Bill Clinton. Once the President signs the bill into law, he and the Pentagon will be in charge of implementing the repeal of DADT. Before full repeal takes effect, the president, the secretary of defense, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff must certify that military policies and procedures are in place to allow homosexuals to openly serve. After that letter of certification is provided to the congressional armed services committee, full repeal would take effect 60 days later. In November, the Ninth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals delayed implementation of a lower court ruling that DADT is unconstitutional. A decision by the Ninth Circuit on an appeal of that case is expected in Spring 2011, but the case may be dismissed now that Congress has voted to repeal the policy. "Today is a tragic day for our armed forces,” said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins in a press release. “The American military exists for only one purpose - to fight and win wars. Yet it has now been hijacked and turned into a tool for imposing on the country a radical social agenda. This may advance the cause of reshaping social attitudes regarding human sexuality, but it will only do harm to the military's ability to fulfill its mission.” He went on, "It is shameful that the Democratic leadership, aided by Republican Senators, has forced through such a radical change in a lame-duck session of Congress. The 1993 law which is to be repealed was adopted only after months of debate and at least a dozen Congressional hearings. The repeal has been forced through only eighteen days after the Pentagon released a massive report, which raised more questions than it answered on the impact the overturning of this policy will have on our nation's military.”Related resources: Copyright © 2010. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.
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