"Don't ask,don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people. Instituted during the Clinton administration,the policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December 21,1993,and was in effect from February 28,1994,until September 20,2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants,while barring openly gay,lesbian,or bisexual persons from military service. This relaxation of legal restrictions on service by gays and lesbians in the armed forces was mandated by Public Law 103–160,which was signed November 30,1993. The policy prohibited people who "demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces of the United States,because their presence "would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale,good order and discipline,and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability".
The United States Military Academy (USMA) is a United States service academy in West Point,New York. It was originally established as a fort during the American Revolutionary War,as it sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City. It is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the United States Army.
John Michael McHugh is an American politician from the U.S. state of New York who served as the 21st United States Secretary of the Army,and represented the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.
Samantha Jane Power is an American journalist,diplomat,and government official who is currently serving as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. She previously served as the 28th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017. Power is a member of the Democratic Party.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The equivalent of the Department of Motor Vehicles in other states,it is responsible for titling,registering and inspecting automobiles,and issuing driver's licenses.
Robert Alan McDonald served as the eighth United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He is the retired chairman,president,and CEO of Procter &Gamble. In 2014 he became Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Knights Out is an organization of West Point alumni,staff and faculty who support the rights of lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people to serve openly in the U.S. military and who wish to educate young officers about the issues and contributions of LGBT troops. The group's name is in reference to the Army Black Knights,West Point's athletic mascot.
The United States military formerly excluded gay men,bisexuals,and lesbians from service. In 1993,the United States Congress passed,and President Bill Clinton signed,a law instituting the policy commonly referred to as "Don't ask,don't tell" (DADT),which allowed gay,lesbian,and bisexual people to serve as long as they did not reveal their sexual orientation. Although there were isolated instances in which service personnel were met with limited success through lawsuits,efforts to end the ban on openly gay,lesbian,and bisexual people serving either legislatively or through the courts initially proved unsuccessful.
LGBT history in the United States spans the contributions and struggles of lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) people,as well as the LGBT social movements they have built.
Dan Choi is an American former infantry officer in the United States Army who served in combat in the Iraq War during 2006–2007. He became an LGBT rights activist following his coming out on The Rachel Maddow Show in March 2009 and publicly challenged America's Don't Ask,Don't Tell policy,which forbade lesbian,gay and bisexual (LGB) service members from serving openly.
American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is the oldest Lesbian,Gay,Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Veterans Service Organization (VSO) in the United States. Founded in 1990,AVER is a non-profit VSO that supports and advocates for the rights of LGBT military veterans,active duty service members,and their families.
Tammy S. Smith is a retired major general of the United States Army Reserve. She last served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army. She formerly served as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff,Mobilization and Reserve Affairs and before that as Deputy Commanding General –Sustainment,Eighth United States Army. As such,she is the first female general officer to serve in an Eighth Army headquarters-level position. Smith also has tours as commanding general of the 98th Training Division,and served for a year in the War in Afghanistan.
Allyson Dylan Robinson is an American human rights activist,specializing in LGBT rights in the United States. She attended West Point before gender reassignment,graduated in 1994 majoring in her undergraduate degree in physics,and was then commissioned as an officer serving in the U.S. Army until 1999. She held the rank of captain. Also prior to transition,she became an ordained Baptist minister,earning from the Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary,a Master of Divinity (M.Div.).
Todd Michael Hughes is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Eric Kenneth Fanning is an American public servant who is the current President and CEO of Aerospace Industries Association and served as the 22nd Secretary of the Army,holding office from May 18,2016 to January 20,2017. Prior to his appointment as Secretary of the Army,Fanning was the 24th United States Under Secretary of the Air Force. He was the first openly gay head of any service in the US military.
Not all armed forces have policies explicitly permitting LGBT personnel. Generally speaking,Western European militaries show a greater tendency toward inclusion of LGBT individuals. As of January 2021,22 countries allow transgender military personnel to serve openly:Australia,Austria,Belgium,Bolivia,Brazil,Canada,Chile,Czechia,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,France,Germany,Ireland,Israel,the Netherlands,New Zealand,Norway,Spain,South Africa,Sweden,and the United Kingdom. Cuba and Thailand reportedly allowed transgender service in a limited capacity.
This article lists events involving Women in warfare and the military in the United States since 2011. For the previous decade,see Timeline of women in warfare and the military in the United States,2000–2010.
The following is a timeline of lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) history in the 21st century.
John Kai Tien Jr. is an American government official and retired United States Army officer who served as the United States deputy secretary of homeland security in the Biden administration from 2021 to 2023.
