by Mel Green

Alaska LGBT servicemembers and their friends and allies today are celebrating the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the U.S. law that, until today, was in effect since December 21, 1993, barring gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from serving openly in the U.S. armed services. Until midnight Eastern time last night, the U.S. was the only industrialized nation which disallowed LGB servicemembers from serving openly. Even with repeal, transgender servicemembers are still unable to serve openly.

Both Sen. Mark Begich and Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted last December to repeal DADT, but  Alaska’s lone Congressman, Don Young, voted against repeal.  President Obama signed the repeal into law on December 22, 2010. It’s still been a long haul since then, as the repeal law required the President, Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to “certify” that the military was ready for repeal — an event which did not occur until 60 days ago, on July 22 — and even after certification, lesbian and gay servicemembers had to wait until today to be able to serve openly.

Senator Mark Begich said on Facebook today,

I applaud the U.S. Military on successfully ending the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy today. It’s an outdated and unnecessary policy. We should be proud of all Americans who answer the call to service and defend our country.

David Hall (about whom Bent Alaska has previously written) was a staff sergeant at Elmendorf Air Force Base before he was outed by a ROTC cadet at University of Alaska Anchorage, and was discharged in 2002. Hall was featured in a CNN story about DADT repeal today:

“It was stunning, disappointing,” Hall said of being outed, and ousted, despite “doing everything that the Air Force had asked of me.” “I lost everything that I had been working for.”

But now Hall may reenlist:

Hall, who joined the Air Force in 1996, said he’s already been in touch with a recruiter, as he’s actively considering returning to the military.

“My views of the military have never changed, I’ve always loved the military,” he said. “It is great (the law is no longer in effect), because it is going to make the military stronger.”

Some of the other comments from Alaskans we’ve gathered from around the web:

… this mean approx. 17,000 of us will be returning to work serving our country with the pride and respect we should have had the entire time…

Thanks to all who have served while being treated poorly!!! Alexander the Great can now be a general imagine that!!

who else is going to the recruiter today?

Steve Smith of the Imperial Court of All Alaska looks forward to welcoming other servicemembers into the Alaska GLBTA community:

It’s been a long wait… and I can now say “I’m Steve Smith, I’m a Soldier, and I am gay!” — When running for Imperial Crown Prince, one item I wished to work on was a way to have our GLBTA soldiers a larger part of the community. They now are able to do that without any worries. Being a soldier, I am ready to work with fellow service members in officially welcoming them to our Alaskan community!

Bent Alaska celebrates with all of you — and looks forward to the day when our trans sisters and brothers can also serve openly.

Celebrations

UAA students of The Family have already held one celebration of DADT’s demise today in the Student Union; but they’ve set up for another tonight at The Commons, coinciding with the season premier of “Glee” — hence the event’s title, “GLEE-ful Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” —

• Date/time: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 7–10 PM
• Location: Camai Room in the Commons, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK (see map)
• Further info: See Facebook event page

A Farewell to DADT Party will also be held tonight at Mad Myrna’s, where celebrants are urged to “don your camouflage, or division shirts!”

• Date/time: Tuesday, September 20, 9:00 PM to midnight.
• Location: Mad Myrna’s, 530 E. 5th Ave. in downtown Anchorage (see map)
• Further info: See the Facebook page.