WORKPLACE EQUALITY BENDING TOWARD JUSTICE IN U.S. MILITARY; SENATE REPEALS DADT



The repeal of DADT is viewed as a victory for the labor and civil rights communities.  (photo by Ove Overmyer) 



Washington, D.C.-- By a 65-31 vote, the Senate acted to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT), the policy banning gays from openly serving in the military. The same six GOP senators who broke with their party during the cloture vote also voted for repeal: Sens. Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Scott Brown, Lisa Murkowski, George Voinovich, and Mark Kirk. Two more Republicans — John Ensign and Richard Burr — joined with Democrats in final passage. Labor and civil rights advocates are cheering this development, which puts in motion policy to eliminate discrimination in military workplaces.

Earlier this week, the House had passed the same legislation by 250-175 vote. More than 14,000 servicemembers have been dismissed because of the DADT policy.

For many Democrats, including President Obama, the final passage and the signing of the bill marks the fulfillment of a promise that they made several times before. In his January State of the Union address and at a speech before the the Human Rights Campaign in October, Obama said, “I will end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. That’s my commitment to you.”

CSEA Local 828 president
and Army Vet Bess Watts



CSEA Monroe County Local 828 President Bess Watts, served six years in the U.S. Army before DADT went into effect back in 1993. She says she hated keeping a part of her life hidden from her superiors and fellow soldiers. She ended up being honorably discharged.

"It's so important to live with integrity, to reach actualization if you will," said Watts. "There's so many aspects to denying a part of who you are if you want to serve the country. To give up a fundamental part of your identity to serve the country you love is dishonest and cruel."

Watts says the leadership of Senator Gillibrand and President Obama on this issue was critical to its passing.  An email from Senator Gillibrand landed in inboxes just a few minutes after the approval vote, which thanked supporters of workplace equality for their perserverance.

"What a great feeling it is to know that you've accomplished a goal that will literally change the lives of thousands of people," wrote Gillibrand in the email.

The U.S. military has been one of the most visible and aggressive bastions of employment that actively pursued and enforced vilification of its employees.