Eight Republicans bucked their party in backing the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, potentially risking a backlash from the conservative base while giving the historic vote a stronger bipartisan finish than many expected.
According to Politico, the Republican senators voting “yes” with the Democrats on repeal were Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mark Kirk of Illinois, John Ensign of Nevada, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine. (Brown and Murkowski are pictured above).
Columnist Steve Rothaus of the Miami Herald has gotten exclusive reaction from Lt. Dan Choi, perhaps the nation’s best-known gay ex-Army soldier.
“It is a good time and I’m re-energized for this,” Choi said Saturday afternoon just after the vote “I am sorry for anyone who might have been upset by my particular methods, but we all came to this together.”
“You have my exclusive thoughts,” said Choi, who was discharged Thursday night from a Cambridge, Mass., hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown last week. “It’s not done. No way. Everyone knew when this vote happens, that only begins the real process of ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ in the hearts of the soldiers who are closeted and waiting to come out.
Choi said Saturday’s vote “does nothing to embrace equality, real equality, other than allow us to start the work.
“This with the stroke of a pen doesn’t make the world more fully American. It makes the books more fully American.”
American Foundation for Equal Rights Board President Chad Griffin (pictured, right) has just released a statement: “Today’s vote to end the egregious and discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law is a major victory for the millions of patriotic gay and lesbian Americans who have and who continue to serve their country honorably. This historic vote is also a victory for the principles on which our nation was founded: all Americans are equal under the law and no one should be subject to discrimination.”
“Today it further evidence that the fight for equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans, which has historically been seen as a partisan issue is increasingly becoming bipartisan. Just as conservative Ted Olson and liberal David Boies came together in the fight for marriage equality, we are glad to see that the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell had strong bipartisan support, and that Republican Senators Brown, Burr, Ensign, Kirk, Voinovich, Collins, Murkowski and Snowe and Independent Senator Joe Lieberman worked alongside their Democratic colleagues to end this unfair policy and to take a stand for human rights.
“Finally, we want to congratulate and thank the Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund, Human Rights Campaign, Center for American Progress, Lt. Dan Choi and the many others who fought long and hard to close this cruel chapter of government-sanctioned discrimination. The American Foundation for Equal Rights will continue its work to ensure all Americans are treated equally and share the same fundamental constitutional rights.”
K. Martinez says:
This is a most awesome day! Long, long overdue.