Armed Services senators note the end of military policy banning gays

Several members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday hailed the end of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy banning gay service members from serving openly. The policy ceased to be in effect as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) tweeted: “The end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is a victory for our national security and our values. #dadt”

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, one of the eight Republican senators who voted to eradicate the policy, tweeted: @SenatorCollins will be honored tonight for her role in abolishing #DADT what a victory!

Lieberman and Collins joined Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), at a news conference Tuesday afternoon noting the event with service members and gay rights advocates.

President Obama’s campaign tweeted about the launch of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is History” movement, asking supporters to share stories of how DADT has affected them personally.

Many other lawmakers, mostly Democrats, had praise for the repeal as well, including Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) who tweeted that DADT had been a “policy of discrimination,” and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who tweeted, “DADT over; hard to believe it took so long for all patriotic Americans to serve/be who they are.”

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) pushed to take gay-rights legislation one step further. “Now that DADT is behind us, it’s time to go get DOMA, don’t you think? #dadt”

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), defines marriage only as a union between a man and a woman.

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