NSD: "Battle for DADT Repeal Has Been Hard Fought and Hard Won"

Michael Mitchell, Executive Director of the National Stonewall Democrats released this statement after President Barack Obama signed Don't Ask, Don't tell repeal into law:

“The battle for Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal was hard fought and hard won,” said Michael Mitchell, National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director. “With the repeal of DADT, not only will 17 years of forced silence, investigations and discharges soon come to an end for LGBT troops, but so will institutionalized discrimination based on sexual orientation that goes back to the beginning of our military. Implementation of repeal won’t likely be a perfect process and it won’t be quick, but for the first time in the history of our great nation, being open about one’s sexual orientation won’t be a roadblock to military service.

“Legislatively speaking, Democrats were the ones who made DADT repeal a priority – from Rep. Patrick Murphy, who valiantly moved the bill through the House; to Rep. Steny Hoyer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi; to Chairman Carl Levin and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; and finally to President Barack Obama himself, who fulfills on a big promise to our community with his signature today. We thank Sen. Joe Lieberman for his leadership on this issue, and Sen. Susan Collins, who broke the logjam of her own Republican Party to open a path for repeal.

“But, let’s not forget that this day would have never happened under a Republican President or a Republican Congress. As National Stonewall Democrats, we were proud when President Obama made the promise to repeal DADT in his State of the Union speech last January, and are even prouder today that it has been accomplished legislatively not even a year later.”