DADT Repeal: Gay Officer Says 'This Is Going To Take Some Getting Used To' (VIDEO)

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy barring gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military officially ended at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning after 17 years. The repeal will be greeted with celebrations in all 50 states as gay service members will be allowed to reveal for the first time their sexual identity without fear of reprisal.

Pentagon press secretary George Little said Monday that the military is prepared for the end of the policy, which took effect in 1993 under President Bill Clinton.

The Huffington Post spoke to Todd Burton, 43, an Army lieutenant colonel stationed in Arlington, Va., on Monday night.

While he described the repeal as "empowering" and "freeing," he also acknowledged that the freedom will "take some getting used to."

Comments

[truth be told again]

11:20 AM on 09/22/2011

One hundred and twenty five words now constitutes an 'article'??? I got no more 'information' by reading it than was contained in the headline.

A little depth please.

[adam646l]

05:39 PM on 09/21/2011

What a dumb, dumb thing to say. We have been here since day one. We will always be here. We are not going away. GET used to it.

[sssteverrr]

09:14 AM on 09/21/2011

I am on the left (far left?) and I view all soldiers as part of the problem. They volunteer you know.

Our monkey tribe military will be our downfall. But that being said I celebrate freedom, liberty and equality in America and in that regard today is a great day for America.

[bradenton]

09:07 AM on 09/21/2011

Gays have always been in the military. Unfrtunately they had to be silent. Thankfully their time to be "all that they can be" is here. Kudos to the brave soldiers now and then.

[2012TP]

02:41 PM on 09/21/2011

As pertaining to the military, “what more can they be” other than what they signed up to be, you know a soldier, now that they are allowed to be open about their sexuality?

[adam646l]

05:43 PM on 09/21/2011

Your point? Heterosexual soldiers don't talk about their lovers, wives, husbands or friends? Stop with the one sided hatred

[Randolph Greer]

06:49 AM on 09/21/2011

Am I the only one who has noticed that the individual quality of the homosexuals who serve our country seems to be superior to the individual quality of the heterosexuals who do the same?

[Atwill]

07:09 AM on 09/21/2011

Yes, because gays who joined during DADT had that much more to lose, yet joined anyway.

[authorized-user]

08:34 AM on 09/21/2011

and their uniforms are perfect

[donbrown]

02:54 AM on 09/21/2011

OMG...DADT repeal and Chaz Bono on DWTS all in one 24 hour period!

Reportedly, Pat Robertson and Jim Dobson are on suicide watch....

[Atwill]

07:07 AM on 09/21/2011

if they were on a suicide watch and i was thier one to one, i'd give them the rope and look the other way.

[adam646l]

05:45 PM on 09/21/2011

Hope one of the watchers turns his head long enough........

[dkrypt]

01:53 AM on 09/21/2011

If only the left liked hetero soldiers as much as they like the gay ones

[wkb2texans]

03:32 AM on 09/21/2011

Now, THAT is funny.

[marecek]

07:21 AM on 09/21/2011

Unencumbered by intelligence.

[ALPHAKITA]

01:13 AM on 09/21/2011

Shocking!!! NOT.

[terry63]

12:14 AM on 09/21/2011

Nancy Pelosi, looks like she just won another million dollars. She just looks so darn happy. That scares me!

[truth be told again]

11:22 AM on 09/22/2011

Why should other people's happiness "scare" you? Or anyone?

[terry63]

12:13 AM on 09/21/2011

There, now youre not special anymore, fall back into formation.

[wkb2texans]

03:35 AM on 09/21/2011

Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. I foresee harrassment claims, claims of failure to promote due to a gay gene, inappropriate public displays of affection, etc. Of course this will greatly impact the morale and performance of the 98% of the military force that are straight.

[TXanimal]

11:06 AM on 09/21/2011

So...all the same problems the other 98% of the military perpetuates? They've done plenty of damage to themselves...I doubt a few gay people will cause a ruckus that will drive the military into chaos.

[adam646l]

05:51 PM on 09/21/2011

98%? Awww! You poor, poor Texan. We're here, We're queer, get used to it. And FYI...we are demanding equity in all things. The village idiot from Texas is in Crawford. The other village idiot from Texas isn't going anywhere. Equality in all things for all people is just common decency.

[Bushwhacked]

11:49 PM on 09/20/2011

Did Michelle Bachman and Rick Santorum's heads both explode when this was signed?

[marecek]

07:25 AM on 09/21/2011

No such luck

[soldiergirl]

11:36 PM on 09/20/2011

Great. This should have never been a policy in the first place. I worked with gay Soldiers in the past, and although we all knew that they were gay, nobody cared. Gay, straight, everybody did their jobs, and that's all we cared about in our unit.

[madisonlike60]

01:48 AM on 09/21/2011

As it should be. Well said. Thank you.

[trevorhanson86]

11:22 PM on 09/20/2011

Military spending and endless wars are the gayest things ever. GO RON PAUL!

[adam646l]

05:54 PM on 09/21/2011

ROFLMAO. "Gayest thing ever " is offensive. Gays are NOT warmongers. Ron Paul is not a viable anything.

[Amalek]

11:27 PM on 09/20/2011

That is the beauty of how Obama did it.  Rather than just change it himself, he forced it through Congress.  A future right wing nut president will have to retrace those steps.  Very difficult. 

And today, you homophobes are the abnormal people who are no longer welcome in uniform.

[terry63]

12:24 AM on 09/21/2011

It can never be put back together agiain, Rick Perry ,or whomever can not do anything about it. Once the military says that Gays have as much right to serve as anyone else and those people show themselves, You cannot put them back in the closet. Its over. Done. Its has been signed . Pelosi , is beside herself with glee. Im affraid to ask what Biden , is doing in the photo.

[adam646l]

05:56 PM on 09/21/2011

Our day has come! We are demanding equality in all things.

[helicalbevel]

10:57 PM on 09/20/2011

As long as he keeps killing bad people, I don't care what he is.