Students celebrated the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy Tuesday afternoon with a discussion between ASU LGBQTA Coalition members and President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign manager at the Memorial Union in Tempe.
Organizing for America, Obama’s community organizing group housed under the Democratic National Committee, hosted the event, webcasting a question-and-answer session with Obama’s campaign manager Jim Messina, who answered concerns from universities around the country on issues ranging from gay rights to the job outlook for graduating students.
A group of students watched the session on a projector screen in the Apache Room of the Tempe campus Memorial Union.
Messina said the repeal of the 17-year-old bill is a “hallmark piece of civil rights legislation.”
“There is no reason to keep American citizens from fighting for a country they love,” Messina said.
The bill, passed in December 1993 during the Clinton administration, prohibited openly gay, lesbian or bisexual individuals from serving in the military.
The policy was repealed in July but required a 60-day waiting period until it went into effect.
ASU LGBQTA Coalition community relations director Emily Johnson said the repeal is a step in the right direction but said she is expecting more from the Obama administration.
“It is a victory but there are a lot more victories to come,” Johnson said. “This doesn’t personally affect me but I understand the significance of it but I’m still expecting more from them.”
Psychology senior Chris Daugherty said he agreed with Johnson.
“It’s just one step (and) hopefully there is more steps to come,” Daugherty said.
Women and gender studies junior Aryana Hallam said she was happy the president is following through with the promises he made for the gay community.
“I think this is a great thing that (Obama) is keeping up with his promises and he is doing what he said he was going to do when we elected him,” Hallam said.
Hallam said she served in the National Guard for a year-and-a-half and said she knew several people who were discharged from the military for violating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
According to DADTarchive.org, 14,055 service men and women were discharged between 1994 and 2009 for issues related to the policy.
“I know at the time it was difficult for them just because they didn’t understand why someone would rat them out like that or go and tell someone because of their sexual orientation,” Hallam said.
She said she was planning to apply for military reinstatement soon and the promise fulfilled by the repeal is “amazing.”
Reach the reporter at brennan.j.smith@asu.edu Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.