Current Version
| Region | United States |
| Issue | Serving openly in military |
| Status | Don't Ask, Don't Tell |
| Start Date | Feb 28, 1994 |
| End Date | Oct 12, 2010 |
| Description | On 28 February 1994, the Policy concerning homosexuality in the armed forces—commonly known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT)—took effect, allowing gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve only if they remained closeted, did not disclose their sexual orientation, did not engage in, attempt to engage in, or solicit another person to engage in prohibited same-sex sexual conduct—except under a narrow exception for conduct found to be a departure from the member’s usual behavior and unlikely to recur—and did not enter, attempt to enter, or claim to be in a same-sex marriage or any similar same-sex union. Transgender people were excluded separately under United States Department of Defense (DoD)-wide and DoD branch-specific medical and administrative policies rather than under DADT itself. |
| Sources | https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?edition=2010&num=0&req=granuleid%3AUSC-2010-title10-section654 https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/paf/projects/dopma-ropma/DODI-1304-26.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/11-F-1445_Revisions_to_Regulations_Implementing_10_USC_654.pdf https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/paf/projects/dopma-ropma/DODI-1332-30.pdf https://www.mcmilitarylaw.com/documents/r635_200.pdf https://www.militaryatheists.org/regs/ArmyReg600-20v2011.pdf https://asktop.net/wp/download/3/r600_8_24.pdf https://girightshotline.org/en/military-knowledge-base/homosexual-conduct-discharge/navy/ https://www.newriver.marines.mil/portals/17/documents/1920.6c.pdf https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/CEME/courses/MCO%20P1900.16F%20with%20CH%201%20and%202%20SEPSMAN.pdf https://pubs.afmentor.com/pubs/afi36-3208.pdf https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/paf/projects/dopma-ropma/AFI36-3207.pdf https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/DownloadDocument?objectID=23178701 https://girightshotline.org/en/military-knowledge-base/homosexual-conduct-discharge/coast-guard/ https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-38/384706/20251117122950548_24-38-24-43acLawAndHistoryScholars.pdf https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/1971/ https://palmcenterlegacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Arbitrary-and-Capricious-1.pdf https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F2/828/828.F2d.584.86-6441.html https://www.med.navy.mil/Portals/62/Documents/NMFA/NMCPHC/root/Occupational%20and%20Environmental%20Medicine/Pages/OCCUPATIONAL%20AUDIOLOGY%20AND%20HEARING%20CONSERVATION%20DIVISION/REGULATIONS%20AND%20INSTRUCTIONS/16CIM-6000-1E.pdf |
| Federal Law | Yes |
Revision History (7)
| Old Value | New Value (Current) | |
|---|---|---|
| End Date | Sep 19, 2011 | Oct 12, 2010 |
| Description | Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the historic compromise signed by President Bill Clinton authorizing people who are LGBT to serve in the military provided they didn't disclose sexuality. The law also removed the ability for others in the military from asking for a service member's orientation. | On 28 February 1994, the Policy concerning homosexuality in the armed forces—commonly known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT)—took effect, allowing gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve only if they remained closeted, did not disclose their sexual orientation, did not engage in, attempt to engage in, or solicit another person to engage in prohibited same-sex sexual conduct—except under a narrow exception for conduct found to be a departure from the member’s usual behavior and unlikely to recur—and did not enter, attempt to enter, or claim to be in a same-sex marriage or any similar same-sex union. Transgender people were excluded separately under United States Department of Defense (DoD)-wide and DoD branch-specific medical and administrative policies rather than under DADT itself. |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ106/pdf/PLAW-104publ106.pdf https://catalog.archives.gov/id/122244870 *official document for DADT signed by Former President Clinton* https://gao.gov/assets/nsiad-92-98.pdf *study from 1992 to 1998* https://www.history.com/news/dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-compromise | https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?edition=2010&num=0&req=granuleid%3AUSC-2010-title10-section654 https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/paf/projects/dopma-ropma/DODI-1304-26.pdf https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Personnel_Related/11-F-1445_Revisions_to_Regulations_Implementing_10_USC_654.pdf https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/paf/projects/dopma-ropma/DODI-1332-30.pdf https://www.mcmilitarylaw.com/documents/r635_200.pdf https://www.militaryatheists.org/regs/ArmyReg600-20v2011.pdf https://asktop.net/wp/download/3/r600_8_24.pdf https://girightshotline.org/en/military-knowledge-base/homosexual-conduct-discharge/navy/ https://www.newriver.marines.mil/portals/17/documents/1920.6c.pdf https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/CEME/courses/MCO%20P1900.16F%20with%20CH%201%20and%202%20SEPSMAN.pdf https://pubs.afmentor.com/pubs/afi36-3208.pdf https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/paf/projects/dopma-ropma/AFI36-3207.pdf https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/DownloadDocument?objectID=23178701 https://girightshotline.org/en/military-knowledge-base/homosexual-conduct-discharge/coast-guard/ https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-38/384706/20251117122950548_24-38-24-43acLawAndHistoryScholars.pdf https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/1971/ https://palmcenterlegacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Arbitrary-and-Capricious-1.pdf https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F2/828/828.F2d.584.86-6441.html https://www.med.navy.mil/Portals/62/Documents/NMFA/NMCPHC/root/Occupational%20and%20Environmental%20Medicine/Pages/OCCUPATIONAL%20AUDIOLOGY%20AND%20HEARING%20CONSERVATION%20DIVISION/REGULATIONS%20AND%20INSTRUCTIONS/16CIM-6000-1E.pdf |
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| Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Start Date | Dec 21, 1993 | Feb 28, 1994 |
edited by jadeywadey. fixed a minor date clash
Helpful?
0 | Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| End Date | Sep 20, 2011 | Sep 19, 2011 |
| Old Value | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the historic compromise signed by President Bill Clinton authorizing people who are LGBT to serve in the military provided they didn't disclose sexuality. The law also removed the ability for others in the military from asking for a service member's orientation. | Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the historic compromise signed by President Bill Clinton authorizing people who are LGBT to serve in the military provided they didn't disclose sexuality. The law also removed the ability for others in the military from asking for a service member's orientation. |
Show Difference | ||
| Sources | http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ106/pdf/PLAW-104publ106.pdf | http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ106/pdf/PLAW-104publ106.pdf https://catalog.archives.gov/id/122244870 *official document for DADT signed by Former President Clinton* https://gao.gov/assets/nsiad-92-98.pdf *study from 1992 to 1998* https://www.history.com/news/dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-compromise |
Show Difference | ||
| Old Value (Original) | New Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the historic compromise signed by President Bill Clinton authorizing people who are LGBT to serve in the military provided they didn't disclose sexuality. The law also removed the ability for others in the military from asking for a service member's orientation. |