'Don't ask': Obama praises Senate's gay ban repeal

(12-19) 04:00 PST Washington - -- The Senate voted to abolish the 17-year-old ban on gays and lesbians in the military known as "don't ask, don't tell" on Saturday, ending a tumultuous chapter in American civil rights history and the last bastion of legal discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Eight moderate Republicans joined 55 Democrats and two independents in a final vote of 65-31 to pass a stand-alone bill that was protected from legislative attack by a special procedure devised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as one of her last acts as leader of the chamber.

Pushed by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Lieberman, independent-Conn., the legislation won earlier Saturday more than the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster and send the repeal to President Obama for enactment.

"By ending 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay," Obama said in a statement after the Senate vote. "And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love."

In addition to expected yes votes from Republican Sens. Collins, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Olympia Snowe of Maine, three other GOP members bucked their party and supported the repeal: Mark Kirk of Illinois, John Ensign of Nevada, and Richard Burr of North Carolina.

End to discharges sought

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, immediately called on Defense Secretary Robert Gates to suspend all investigations and discharges until the law is officially repealed. Once Obama signs the repeal, a written certification that the change will not hinder military readiness must be sent by the president, Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Congress. The law takes effect 60 days after the certification is completed.

"Once this legislation is signed into law by the president, the Department of Defense will immediately proceed with the planning necessary to carry out this change carefully and methodically, but purposefully," Gates said after the vote.

More than 13,500 dismissed

The ban had forced the dismissal of more than 13,500 openly gay and lesbian service members, including Arab linguists, medical personnel and combat soldiers, through the course of two wars. The repeal marks the most significant shift in military recruitment policy since the integration of African Americans into the armed forces during World War II.

"Don't ask, don't tell" clung to life until the last desperate days of the lame-duck 111th Congress. It died near the anniversary of its birth after a year of seesaw battle between Obama and his defeated Republican rival for the presidency, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who thwarted efforts to repeal the law twice this year.

Obama had promised repeal in his State of the Union address almost a year ago but embarked on a cautious, circuitous path that angered gay rights activists. Facing resistance from Army and Marine leaders, he ordered a 10-month Pentagon study and agreed to a complicated legislative process requiring certification by military chiefs that the ban would not harm the military.

The issue split the gay rights movement, with mainstream groups such as the Human Rights Campaign relying on their close ties to Democrats to pursue a legislative repeal on the administration's terms. Democrats attached repeal to a popular defense bill to woo support.

More aggressive gay rights activists blasted the effort, complaining that that the military ban was stuck on the legislative back burner behind less-pressing gay rights legislation.