{"id":353839,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:11","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/military\/administrative-issues-benefits\/the-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-and-what-it-means-for-you.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T20:25:06","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T01:25:06","slug":"the-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-and-what-it-means-for-you","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/military\/administrative-issues-benefits\/the-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-and-what-it-means-for-you.html","title":{"rendered":"The Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and What it Means for You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and What it Means for You<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell formally took effect on September 20, 2011, after the President, Secretary of Defense and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff adopted new policies and certified<\/a> that the repeal of DADT would not affect military readiness.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In 2010, Congress passed a law to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell<\/a> (DADT), a policy that had been in place since it was signed into law by President Clinton in 1993. Under DADT, service members could not be asked whether they were homosexual or bisexual, but they were also prohibited from discussing that topic.<\/p>\r\n

Where a service member’s orientation was made public, either intentionally or inadvertently, he or she was still subject to discharge under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. In fact, from 1994 through 2009, a period when DADT was in effect, over 13,000 service members<\/a> were discharged for homosexual conduct.<\/p>\r\n

What’s the Current Policy?<\/h2>\r\n

 Under the current policy<\/a>, homosexuals and bisexuals can serve openly in the U.S. military and will not be barred from recruitment or promotions or face a discharge on the basis of their sexual orientation.<\/p>\r\n

Those who were previously discharged based on sexual orientation can request a discharge review and upgrade<\/a> by contacting the review board for their particular service. For example, service members discharged from the Army under DADT can apply online<\/a> for a review of their discharge. Service members previously discharged under DADT can also apply for re-entry, but they aren’t eligible for back pay or other credits for time lost.<\/p>\r\n

Effect of DADT’s Repeal on Other Policies<\/u><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has also affected other policies within the military, such as those relating to:<\/p>\r\n