US military ends ban on openly gay personnel

The controversial law, which had been in force since 1993, meant gay men and women could only serve in the military if they kept their sexuality a secret.

President Barack Obama signed legislation last December to repeal the policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell”.

It had been signed into law under then-President Bill Clinton after his administration failed to get a policy outlawing discrimination in the armed forces past Congress.

Jonathan Hopkins was discharged from the US Army in 2010 for being gay and is now part of OutServe – an association of serving LGBT military.

He was told he was “under investigation” on the same day he was put forward for promotion following two tours of Iraq and one of Afghanistan.

Jonathan told Channel 4 News he feels “relief” that everyone will now be judged on their performance: “If you were in the military and gay it didn’t matter how good you were, you would be kicked out.

“When I was in the military I felt like I was the only one.”

He said he was “devastated” when he was discharged and that is was “the worst thing that ever happened to me”.

It’s exhilarating. For me at least I still don’t know what to do with it. I’m still trying to figure out how to react. Captain Carlos Coronado

Captain Carlos Coronado has served as a munitions officer in the US Air Force and has hid his sexuality for more than six years.

“It’s exhilarating,” he told Channel 4 News.

“For me at least I still don’t know what to do with it. I’m still trying to figure out how to react.”

“I’ve been contacting friends of mine from seven or eight years ago.”

Captain Coronado was also “investigated for discharge” but because there was inadequate proof about his sexuality he was allowed to remain in the Air Force.

He said there may still be “pockets of resistance” to homosexuality in the military but that overall “it’s a new day”.

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‘Ready for change’

American military officials had consulted the Ministry of Defence to learn from Britain’s track record in welcoming openly gay and lesbian recruits into the armed forces.

The Pentagon insists it is ready for the change in policy.

Spokesman George Little said: “This is not a surprise. We’re prepared. People will know exactly what to do in conjunction with repeal.”

Military recruiters are now accepting enlistment applications from openly gay people, Little said.

Under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, more than 14,500 US service members were thrown out of the military, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a group opposed to the ban.

Gays rights groups for years denounced the law, and have called its demise a significant milestone in the fight against anti-homosexual discrimination in the United States.

Three months before Congress passed the repeal last year, a gay rights group, the Log Cabin Republicans, won a court ruling striking down the policy. The court said the law infringed the constitutional free speech and due-process rights of gays in the armed forces.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals is weighing whether to affirm or overturn the decision declaring the ban unconstitutional, even as the repeal goes into effect.

Opponents of lifting the ban had argued that allowing openly gay people to serve in the military could harm US troops’ combat effectiveness. Marine Corps Commandant James Amos said that implementing the change could cost lives because of the impact on discipline and unit cohesiveness.