President Barack Obama will make his mark on LGBTQ history on Wednesday, when he signs the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs indicated today that an exact schedule has yet to be laid out, but that he expected a formal ceremony for the signing December 22.
As the Senate voted Saturday to end “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Obama praised members for “ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend.” He also said that “It was time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly.”