Until December 2010, the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy of 17 years forced gay and lesbian members of the military to serve in silence. DADT was, in fact, the only law in the nation that forced individuals to lie about their sexual orientation in order to maintain employment.

Why It matters:

Serving your nation’s country is one of the most honorable commitments a citizen can make. The values of service in the armed forces such as loyalty, honor, and courage are incompatible with a policy that asks its employees to lie.

The U.S. Congress and President Obama passed the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Act in December of 2010, effectively ending the military ban gay and lesbian service members. However, full implementation of the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell may take up to a year.

What We're Doing:

Since 2008, SAVE Dade worked on repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and Service Members United.

In April 2010, SAVE Dade in partnership with HRC, hosted the Voices of Honor Tour in Little Havana. The Tour was a Spanish-language panel discussion led by service members affected by Don’t Ask Don’t Tell followed by questions and answers.

In 2009 and 2010 SAVE Dade volunteers lobbied Senator Bill Nelson, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz to bring an end to the discriminatory Don’t Ask Don’t Tell ban.

How You Can Make A Difference:

Contribute to SAVE Dade and continue to build a movement for LGBT equality, starting in Miami, Florida.