Obama hails Senate repeal of dont ask,dont tell policy

The Senate Saturday voted to strike down the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military

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The Senate Saturday voted to strike down the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military,bringing to a close a 17-year struggle over a policy that forced thousands of Americans from the ranks and caused others to keep secret their sexual orientation.

By a vote of 65 to 31,with eight Republicans joining Democrats,the Senate approved and sent to President Obama a repeal of the Clinton-era law,known as dont ask,dont tell, a policy critics said amounted to government-sanctioned discrimination that treated gay troops as second-class citizens.

Obama hailed the action,which fulfils his pledge to reverse the ban,and said it was time to close this chapter in our history. As commander in chief,I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best-led and best-trained fighting force the world has known, he said in a statement after the Senate,on a preliminary 63-to-33 vote,beat back Republican efforts to block final action on the repeal Bill.

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The vote followed an exhaustive Pentagon review that determined the policy could be changed with only isolated disruptions to unit cohesion and retention,though members of combat units and the Marine Corps expressed greater reservations about the shift.

I dont care who you love, Senator Ron Wyden,Democrat of Oregon,said as the debate opened. If you love this country enough to risk your life for it,you shouldnt have to hide who you are.

Saying it represented an emotional moment for members of the gay community,advocates who supported the repeal exchanged hugs outside the Senate.

Senator John McCain,Republican of Arizona,led the opposition to the repeal. I hope that when we pass this legislation that we will understand that we are doing great damage, McCain said. And we could possibly,as the commandant of the Marine Corps said,and as I have been told by literally thousands of members of the military,harm the battle effectiveness.