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Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people. Instituted during the Clinton administration, the policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December 21, 1993, and was in effect from February 28, 1994, until September 20, 2011.
Learn how HRC fought to end the discriminatory policies that barred LGBTQ+ people from serving in the military. Find out how HRC is challenging the Trump-Pence administration's transgender ban and supporting trans service members.
May 1, 2024 · Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), byname for the former official U.S. policy (1993–2011) regarding the service of homosexuals in the military. The term was coined after Pres. Bill Clinton in 1993 signed a law (consisting of statute, regulations, and policy memoranda) directing that military personnel.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Before 'Don’T Ask, Don’T Tell': Expulsions, Exclusion
- 'Don’T Ask, Don’T Tell': The Policy
- Was 'Don’T Ask, Don’T Tell' A Step Forward?
- The Repeal of 'Don’T Ask, Don’T Tell'
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Though the U.S. military did not officially exclude LGBTQ service members from its ranks before the mid-20th century, “homosexual acts” were grounds for discharge as far back as the Revolutionary War. In the aftermath of World War I, the military made the act of sodomy a crime subject to punishment by a court-martial. As the nation prepared for Wor...
During his 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton announced his intention to end the ban on homosexuals in the military if elected. Gay rights supporters rejoiced, but the new president’s efforts met with stiff bipartisan opposition in Congress. As reported in the Atlantic, documents released by the Clinton Library in 2014 about the debate includ...
Though Clinton admittedthe policy was “not a perfect solution,” he presented it as a “major step forward” from the existing ban. But many gay rights activists criticized the policy as falling way short, claiming DADT did little to promote acceptance of gays and lesbians within the military. The statute itself concluded that homosexuality, if openly...
Barack Obama campaigned for president in 2008 with a promise to immediately overturn DADT, but the discharges continued during his first year in the White House. By 2010, several U.S. states (including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire) had legalized same-sex marriage. Later that year, the Pentagon announced the resultsof a repo...
Learn how the policy that allowed gay Americans to serve in the military as long as they remained closeted was enacted, challenged and repealed. Explore the history of LGBTQ rights and discrimination in the U.S. military from the Revolutionary War to the present.
- Sarah Pruitt
Sep 20, 2021 · Two LGBTQ+ veterans who served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” share their experiences and reflections on the policy that discriminated against them and thousands of service members. They also discuss their current roles in the Biden-Harris Administration and their advice for young people seeking to serve.
Sep 20, 2023 · Summary. On Sept. 20, 2011, Congress repealed the law known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" — allowing courageous gay, lesbian and bisexual service members to serve the country they love...
May 26, 2022 · Learn how the federal government ended the law that banned gay people from serving openly in the U.S. armed forces on September 20, 2011. Find out the background, the opposition and the impact of the policy change.
