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Joe Biden’s LGBTQ+ Legacy, 10 Years After DADT Repeal
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Joe Biden’s LGBTQ+ Legacy, 10 Years After DADT Repeal

Winnie Stachelberg and Rudy Deleon recall the end of "don't ask, don't tell" 10 years ago, and the roll that former Vice President Joe Biden played in the policy's repeal.

In 2010, during the State of the Union address, President Obama proclaimed that he would work with Congress and our military to finally repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a law that had denied LGB Americans the right to openly serve in the armed forces of their country.

Days later, Vice President Joe Biden predicted that the policy would be eliminated by the end of the year. Within a week, Admiral Michael Mullen, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), offering testimony on the need for change.

The above excerpt was originally published in The Advocate. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Winnie Stachelberg

Former Executive Vice President, External Affairs

@wstachelberg

Rudy deLeon

Senior Fellow