The law which has banned gay and lesbian members of the US military from being openly-gay while serving is today being officially wiped from the law. The repeal was signed by President Barack Obama in December and comes into effect on 22 September, US time. Pentagon spokesman George Little has told the Armed Forces Press Services repeal of the law will mean gay and lesbian service members may be open about their sexual orientation. Little says the Defense Department is ready for repeal. "This is something that has been known for a long time," he says. "We've gone through a process to certify repeal." More than 13,000 gay men and women have been kicked out of the armed services for revealing their sexuality since the policy took effect in 1993 under then-President Bill Clinton. A December poll for Washington Post-ABC News found 77 per cent of Americans supported the repeal.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 20th September 2011 - 4:45pm