Lynn C. Woolsey: “We heard all of the arguments before we had our votes yesterday on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but in the past we heard very…”

“We heard all of the arguments before we had our votes yesterday on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but in the past we heard very similar arguments. The Secretary of the Army said he was concerned about how the proposed change would affect the efficiency of the Army. A 5-star general warned of social experiments and worried that with reform in military personnel policy, we may have difficulty attaining high morale. Those are not quotations from 2010, Mr. Speaker. Those are not quotations about the right of gay and lesbian Americans to serve openly in the military. They are from more than 60 years ago during the debate over racial integration of the Armed Forces. Does anyone believe they were right? If so, please speak up. Is anyone prepared to argue that our military has suffered from the full participation of African Americans in its ranks? Thankfully, a majority in this body remembered this history lesson last night when we made history by voting to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, an embarrassment unworthy of a great country and a great military. It has been responsible for the discharge of 13,000 honorable Americans, men and women who were told their services were dispensable not because of how they behaved, but because of who they are. It has done violence to cherished American values like equality, inclusion, and tolerance. And it has damaged our national security, too.”