DADT Repeal Vote Prompts Outpouring Of Reaction

After the Senate voted on Saturday to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, a seventeen-year old Pentagon policy prohibiting gay service members from serving openly, an outpouring of reaction followed in response to the legislative milestone.

A handful of GOP senators joined Democrats to vote in favor of lifting the military ban. HuffPost's Elise Foley reports:

Six Republicans initially crossed the aisle to vote against the policy: Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio). ... In the first procedural vote on Saturday morning, 63 senators voted in favor of the bill and 33 against. In the final passage, Sens. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) switched their vote to "aye," despite initially voting against moving forward with the bill.

(Click here to read more on all of the action that unfolded in the Senate.)

The AP reports:

Obama was expected to sign the bill into law next week, although changes to military policy probably wouldn't take effect for at least several months. Under the bill, the president and his top military advisers must first certify that lifting the ban won't hurt troops' ability to fight. After that, the military would undergo a 60-day wait period.

Repeal would mean that, for the first time in American history, gays would be openly accepted by the armed forces and could acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out.

Below, a slideshow highlighting key reactions to the latest developments in the larger fight for repeal:

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Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga wrote in a tweet on Saturday afternoon: "Can't hold back the tears+pride. We did it!i Our voice was heard + today the Senate REPEALED DADT. A triumph for equality after 17 YEARS."

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Lady Gaga wrote in a tweet on Saturday afternoon: "Can't hold back the tears+pride. We did it!i Our voice was heard + today the Senate REPEALED DADT. A triumph for equality after 17 YEARS."

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Comments

[joeyfoto]

01:41 PM on 12/29/2010

"Culture war" is a smoke screen to disguise an agenda of economic subjugation. One item in the Corporate / Fundamentalist Christian divide & conquer agenda is finally defeated. A glimmer of liberty and human decency has been restored to a country that has been deeply divided for the cynical purpose of advancing economic policies that benefit a very few at the expense of the vast majority.

DADT is dead. Chalk one up for the good guys.
This battle is over; a far-side war against the values of democracy goes on...

[RyanC1384]

01:51 PM on 12/22/2010

A simply fantastic moment happened after the signing today! I remember watching live when Reid was told by Choi "we will hold you accountable" twice. I can't help but think Reid was a little rattled by that. He hadn't yet won re-election and probably knew how tough it would be to get the repeal done. To his credit it was signed today and he kept his word.

http://www.doubledutchpolitics.com/2010/12/harry-reid-returns-west-point-ring-to-dan-choi/

[james cambridge]

10:16 AM on 12/20/2010

Man up Senator McCain! And one more thing...wasn't McCain a pretty lousy soldier? Yes, he was brave and served but he crashed planes left and right: he was a pretty incompetent flyer. Also, when he came back from 'nam, his nickname was, fairly or unfairly, "the canary". Because he sang to the enemy...

[jmorgan1981]

10:12 AM on 12/20/2010

In other news the Tea Party of Tea Baggers pledge to repeal the repeal of DADT in the next session of congress.

[james cambridge]

10:01 AM on 12/20/2010

Olympia Snowe voted for this because she realizes she's done politically (as a Republican anyway): there's no way she's going to survive the Republican primary in Maine in 2012. Senator Murkowski, however, voted for repeal of DADT and I'm actually grateful for her vote because, this vote looks like a sign that she has every intention of being the Lieberman of the Republican Party, sticking it to them every chance she gets for what they've done to her.I saw her being interviewed by Rachel Maddow right before the election and she lamented the takeover of the Alaskan Republican Party by the religious-right in the 1980's, calling it 'shocking'. She came off as a reasonable and very likable woman and she clearly loathes both Palin and the Teabaggers, so here's to hoping that she lives up to the promise of that interview!

[Jevad]

07:39 PM on 12/19/2010

I love the Log Cabin Republicans take on this... Some how 6 of 41 Repugnicans vote for repeal equates to "STRONG" Republican support.... how bout Thanks for nothin!!

[BobSF94117]

08:36 PM on 12/19/2010

They sure to spin, don't they? Still, they got to 20% (15% for the cloture vote). Frankly, they got more support that I expected.

[kenhamlett]

06:34 PM on 12/19/2010

It saddens me when my Democratic party leaders feel that they have to justify the DADT repeal by saying that we gay and lesbian Americans "are willing to fight and die for the country," so we must be allowed to serve. While it is certainly true that all soldiers enter the military understanding and accepting the risks involved, that is not the reason to repeal DADT. The reason to repeal is that the law condoned discrimination and bigotry. If no gay or lesbian American soldier ever was again injured or killed in the line of duty, that would not invalidate the repeal. Please, why do they not simply point out that discrimination is wrong and let the moral strength of that position be our case.

[dpavsek]

09:07 PM on 12/19/2010

You are so correct. As a gay man, I often wonder why gay men and women want to be part of a group that wants to discriminate against them. Now with this vote, the report of the Pentagon, and the support of the Sec. of Defense and the Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff, I'm more supportive. The time has come to abolish all discrimination. I can't wait until my marriage in DC has to be reconginzed in all 50 States.

[Justin Werner]

09:31 PM on 12/19/2010

As a gay man, I understand why that gay men and women love their nation and see serving it as soldiers to be an expression of that devotion. They don't want to be a part of a group that discriminates against them, they want to serve their country. Think about it.

[Rachel O]

09:49 PM on 12/19/2010

Because plenty of people don't believe that discrimination is wrong. They are speaking the language of the masses, and the masses value martyrdom.

[bubbepenny]

05:38 PM on 12/19/2010

it's about feckin time

[ljc]

05:30 PM on 12/19/2010

Where is the pix and a statement from Rep. Murphy... for pete's sake , it is his legislation.

[Lllahim]

05:30 PM on 12/19/2010

In any other western country, the Republicans will be regarded as a fringe ultra conservative party ganering no more than 5% of the vote in a general election. Here in the US they are close to a majority. Time and time again they have been on the wrong side of history but they keep getting elected. What gets me is when, years after, they aplogize for their poor position on critical isssues and receive forgiveness. In 2008 John McCain apologized for his negative vote on Dr. King's holiday. If he is around in 10 years, he will be apologizing for voting against repeal of DADT. And what do you know - Americans will thank him for his magnanimity. Way to go!

[Rachel O]

09:51 PM on 12/19/2010

Australia has it plenty bad, too. And there are plenty of developing nations that are even more frighteningly conservative than we are. We have plenty of room for improvement, but it could still be a lot worse.

[joeyfoto]

07:44 AM on 12/30/2010

Lllahim wrote: "In any other western country, the Republican s will be regarded as a fringe ultra conservati ve party ganering no more than 5% of the vote in a general election."

It's not just 'in any other western nation;' it is also when compared with American conservatism this movement has been driven to the fringes. I believe that is precisely because the Republican economic agenda works for such a small percentage of the American people, that the party must whip up crazies in "culture wars" to get people to blindly vote for "religious values" while accepting economic policies that devastate their economic self-interest.

It's a good trick really, to use bribery on politicians and pro-quality propaganda to get citizens to vote for "MOrality" by electing a party whose policies insure the same citizen's economic enslavement to multi-national corporations whose sole moral value is to put profit in the pockets of their stockholders, by whatever means necessary.

No wonder these people attack National Public Radio and underfund public education — an educated citizenry would laugh these Republicans out of office.

Palin/Bachmann 2012.
"Vote for Sarah & Michelle or you'll go to He##!"

[Alfredo Zapata]

05:25 PM on 12/19/2010

Nearly 1/3 of the senate on the wrong side of history. It sux to be them.

[katielady]

05:13 PM on 12/19/2010

Every single member of Congress has at least one gay member in their family.. How can they look any of these family members in the face? Who exactly are their constituents? I wonder if any gays have voted for any of the members who supported DADT? Pure and simple DADT is another way to support discrimination.. maybe soon they won't allow Blacks or women to vote..

[Alfredo Zapata]

05:33 PM on 12/19/2010

Not Inhofe! He swore up and down that there were no homes in his extended family.

Yoda: Deluded he is, yes!

[IamfromTexas]

08:12 AM on 12/20/2010

Pretty blanket statement. And you know this how?

[lifeisgood2]

03:43 PM on 12/19/2010

Great lady, that Ms. Collins is. I was unfair to her in the past, but she came through
with what is right, unlike many of her colleagues. Thanks Sen. Collins.

[infinitivesplit]

04:35 PM on 12/19/2010

Only after signing a letter that she wouldn't vote on anything until the GOP got their tax cuts for the rich. Civil rights held ransom for tax cuts for the wealthy ain't my idea of 'what's right'.

[Alfredo Zapata]

05:29 PM on 12/19/2010

I wish you could provide a like to this letter or source for this comment. I've always believe she would be smarter than that.

[Jennifer Mead]

06:29 PM on 12/19/2010

Yep, she definitely showed her "stepford" ways.

[BobSF94117]

08:38 PM on 12/19/2010

Yeah, the stars finally aligned just perfectly so she was FINALLY able to vote in favor of some gay rights.

Pin a medal on her... and let's see if the stars ever manage to align favorably again.

[Gary Drechsel]

03:02 PM on 12/19/2010

“In the middle of a military conflict, is not the time to do it,” said Senator Saxby Chambliss, Republican of Georgia.

hmmm when exactly are we not in a military conflict? we're always bombing someone.

[Belle Starr]

06:26 PM on 12/19/2010

To borrow a line from LBJ:

Chambliss couldn't pour pee out of a boot even if the instructions were written on the heel.

[Alfredo Zapata]

09:44 PM on 12/19/2010

hmmmm, in the middle of a military conflict is the perfect time to join the fight. What is your excuse Saxby?

[goatboyslim]

02:54 PM on 12/19/2010

For once, Susan Collins(and Joe Lieberman) are on the right side of history.

[infinitivesplit]

04:36 PM on 12/19/2010

Collins only supported the bill after signing a letter that she wouldn't vote on anything until the GOP got their tax cuts for the rich. Civil rights held ransom for tax cuts for the wealthy ain't my idea of 'what's right'.