LAS VEGAS - The stroke of midnight was monumental for Pat Spearman. At 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the Pentagon officially ended its nearly two-decade-old Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. The policy allowed gays and lesbians to work in the military as long as they didn't reveal their sexual orientation.
Spearman, who is homosexual, spent 28 years serving our nation's military. She worked her way up through the Army's ranks.
"It's heart-wrenching, because you've got your whole heart into what you're doing, yet you cannot reveal your whole self while you're doing it," she said. "I didn't go to bed until after 12 midnight, because I wanted to be awake when Don't Ask, Don't Tell actually went away. After about five after midnight, I said, ‘Great, okay now.'"
The now retired lieutenant colonel remembers when Congress passed the law in 1993.
"It's very painful, because while I would have gone to war, I would have laid my life down," she said. "Just the fact that I stayed in says that, yes, I would have served in combat as well. But to know that you're willing to go that far for your country, while at the same time there is a policy that basically says to you you are less than a citizen."
At a press conference celebrating the reversal, Spearman said the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a victory for the 14,000 gays and lesbians who were discharged since the law was passed, as well as those who died in service.
"I lived long enough to see it, but I also would like to honor those men and women who are buried in Arlington National Cemetery, who served their country with honor," she said.
Supporters who worked with Nevada lawmakers to make the repeal happen say the door is now open for younger generations.
"You're going to see people who are LGBT finally really going for the military, because for once, we can avail ourselves of those and still be who we are," Spearman said.
"Those who served honorably can now serve with integrity," added Derek Washington with Stonewall Democrats.
The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell stops all pending investigations, discharges, and other administrative proceedings against homosexual service members. The Pentagon says the military has undergone new training regarding the law.
