Cohen Votes to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today voted to support legislation that would repeal a ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. military. The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration.

“If someone wants to defend and serve their country they should be allowed to do so,” said Congressman Cohen. “It shouldn’t matter whether someone is gay or lesbian. Gays and lesbians deserve the same rights and opportunities everyone else gets in America. Many of our troops, our generals and a majority of the American public agree that it is time to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’”

The legislation (H.R. 2965) would repeal the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) law, which bars openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. military. Recent polls show strong support by Americans for a repeal of DADT. A November 2010 Department of Defense survey of military members and military spouses found that:

• 70 percent of military members surveyed said repealing DADT would be “equally mixed, positive or non-existent;”
• 62 percent of military members said repealing DADT will not affect their own military career plans; and
• 74 percent of military spouses said repealing would have no effect on their preference for their Service member’s future plans to stay in the military.