Tuesday, the day that the military "don't ask, don't tell" policy was officially repealed, was remarkable mostly for how normal it was. The military went about its business. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan went on. The Pentagon had long since finished its preparations; it had even begun recruiting openly gay people to enlist once the repeal took effect.
Pentagon officials for their part stressed that they believe sexual orientation remains “a personal and private matter.” When asked what will happen Tuesday if a gay individual walks into a recruiting station today and wants to join the military, Pentagon spokesman George Little noted that “while applicants are not asked, or required to reveal their sexual orientation, statements about sexual orientation will not be a bar to military service.
But the end of "don't ask, don't tell" -- a Clinton-era policy that forbade gay service members from disclosing their sexual orientation and their officers from asking about it -- was tremendously consequential for the service members affected by it, and also politically.
Intrested in reading more about it?
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/217123/20110920/don-t-ask-don-t-tell-dadt-military-policy-repeal-obama.htm
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2011/0920/Why-Pentagon-chiefs-are-cheering-end-of-don-t-ask-don-t-tell
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