Task Force: House vote “a critical step toward closing a shameful chapter in our nation’s history”

The U.S. House of Representatives voted a few minutes ago in support of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as part of the Department of Defense authorization bill.

The Task Force’s Rea Carey responded to the vote, noting that public opinion is actually ahead of Congress on this issue:

Today’s vote marks a critical step toward closing a shameful chapter in our nation’s history, and toward creating a path that could end in men and women being able to serve openly, honestly, and to great benefit of our country.

Seventy-eight percent of Americans say they want ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repealed, and for good reason: It is discriminatory, outdated and costly. The vast majority of people know that it is wrong to discriminate against patriotic men and women willing to risk their lives by serving in the military. Thousands of qualified service members have already been drummed out of the military for nothing other than bias and prejudice, and thousands more live in fear of losing their military careers.

While this is an important step toward ending an unjust law, we continue to call for clear assurances of protection, a specific timeline for repeal implementation, and an immediate halt to the discharges. The lives and livelihoods of dedicated service members hang in the balance.