ABC News tells his story and interviewed him this morning:

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“After years of debate and months of final preparations, the military can no longer prevent gays from serving openly in its ranks.

“Repeal of a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private took effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

“Some in Congress still oppose the change, but top Pentagon leaders have certified that it will not undermine the military’s ability to recruit or to fight wars.

“The Army was distributing a business-as-usual statement Tuesday saying simply, ‘The law is repealed,’ and reminding soldiers to treat each other fairly.

“Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, scheduled a Pentagon news conference to field questions about the repeal. And a bipartisan group of congressional supporters of allowing openly gay service planned a news conference on Capitol Hill.

“Gay advocacy groups planned a series of celebrations across the country.

“At a San Diego bar, current and former troops danced and counted down to midnight. ‘You are all heroes,’ Sean Sala, a former Navy operations specialist, said. ‘The days of your faces being blacked out on the news — no more.’

“The head of Pentagon personnel put out a memo to the work force at 12:01 a.m. EDT. ‘All service members are to treat one another with dignity and respect regardless of sexual orientation,’ the memo from Clifford Stanley said.

“‘The Department of Defense is committed to promoting an environment free from personal, social or institutional barriers that prevent service members from rising to the highest level of responsibility possible regardless of sexual orientation.’

“In Iraq, a spokesman for U.S forces put out a statement Tuesday morning noting that all troops there had been trained for the change.

“Pentagon press secretary George Little said Monday that the military is adequately prepared for the end of the current policy, commonly known as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ under which gays can serve as long as they don’t openly acknowledge their sexual orientation and commanders are not allowed to ask.

“‘No one should be left with the impression that we are unprepared. We are prepared for repeal,’ Little said.

“Last week, the Pentagon said 97 percent of the military has undergone training in the new law.

“For weeks the military services have accepted applications from openly gay recruits, while waiting for repeal to take effect before processing the applications.”

READ THE FULL STORY >>

“Nearly 70 years after expelling Melvin Dwork for being gay, the Navy is changing his discharge from ‘undesirable’ to ‘honorable’ — marking what is believed to be the first time the Pentagon has taken such a step on behalf of a World War II veteran since the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’

“The Navy notified the 89-year-old former corpsman last month that he will now be eligible for the benefits he had long been denied, including medical care and a military burial.

“Dwork spent decades fighting to remove the blot on his record.

“‘I resented that word ‘undesirable,” said Dwork, who was expelled in 1944, at the height of the war, and is now a successful interior designer in New York. ‘That word really stuck in my craw. To me it was a terrible insult. It had to be righted. It’s really worse than ‘dishonorable.’ I think it was the worst word they could have used.’

“For Dwork, victory came with a heartbreaking truth: Last year, when the Navy finally released his records, he learned that his name had been given up by his own boyfriend at the time.

“The decision to amend his discharge papers was made by the Board for Corrections of Naval Records in Washington.”

READ THE FULL STORY >>

“After 19 years hiding her relationship with an active-duty Army captain, Cathy Cooper is getting ready to exhale. On Tuesday, the policy known as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ will expire. And Cooper will dare speak her love’s name in public.

“‘This is life-changing,’ said Cooper, choking up. ‘I just want to be able to breathe — knowing I can call my partner at work and have a conversation without it having to be in code.’

“Much has been reported about the burdens that ‘don’t ask’ placed on gay and lesbian service members who risked discharge under the 1993 policy if their sexual orientation became known in the ranks. There’s been less attention focused on their civilian partners, who faced distinctive, often relentless stresses of their own.

“In interviews with The Associated Press, five partners recalled past challenges trying to conceal their love affairs, spoke of the joy and relief accompanying repeal, and wondered about the extent that they would be welcomed into the broader military family in the future.

“Even with repeal imminent, the partners — long accustomed to secrecy — did not want to reveal the full identity of their active-duty loved ones before Tuesday.

“Cooper, who works for a large private company, moved from the Midwest to northern Virginia to be near her partner’s current Army post, yet couldn’t fully explain to friends and colleagues why she moved. ‘It’s been really difficult — it’s really isolated us,’ she said. ‘I became much more introverted, more evasive.’

“Cooper said her partner’s Army career is thriving, though she’s had to hide a major component of her personal life.

“‘I don’t know any of her co-workers,’ Cooper said. ‘She says, ‘You’re the best part of me and I have to pretend you don’t exist.”

“Looking ahead, Cooper is unsure how same-sex partners will be welcomed by the military establishment.

“‘Will it be, ‘Hey, come join all the family support programs’?’ she wondered. ‘I’m not going to be so naive as to think that … I’m just hoping the door is open.’”

READ THE FIVE INTERVIEWS >>

However, something I am not proud of is to be a part of a society that seems to run on hate.

Whenever I hear the words “illegal” or “alien” or ” beaner,” I just feel sorry for the amount of ignorance in the world. Whenever I see news headlines of people getting discharged from serving a country they love just because they love the same sex, I feel angry at the level of prejudice in the world. But whenever I am questioned why I support gays or immigrants or anybody “different”, I feel totally motivated to help the world change.

I give a damn because I do not believe that any human being is illegal. I do not believe that any love is wrong. I don’t believe that two people should be forbidden to marry. I don’t believe in stereotypes or prejudice. I don’t believe that being any race, religion, sexuality, gender, or age makes you any less of a human being.

And I give a damn because in my lifetime, I want to see hate be torn apart and buried in the ground, and I want to live in a world where to live your life happily, it doesn’t need to matter who you are or where you come from. I will live and die by that dream, and I will do anything and everything I can, along with everyone else who shares the same dream, to help change the world.

We are allowed to want equality as long as we keep quiet about it. People are ok with it as long as they don’t know about it. People are ok with it as long as they don’t have to see it. So how ok with it are you? I decided that I want what it is I’m fighting for everyone else to get to keep. I want rights too. Just because I’m not like you doesn’t mean I am wrong; it just means I am different, and different is ok.

Danielle

I am proud to say this is an honorable man in every way, he will never turn his back on his fellow Marines even if they don’t stand for what they mean. I would love to give you the name of my hero, my friend, but first I have to wait for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to end. Then, maybe he can stand a little taller and say, “I have won the battle Sergeant, I’m gay.” Without dishonor and without any pain, he can find his Romeo and take his last name. I say let’s have a toast to the best friend that will ever be my hero, my brother, my Honey Bee!

This is dedicated to my best friend, my brother, who helped me be who I am and not be ashamed to be bisexual, but love who I am and hold my head high with pride and that is why he is my hero. Not just because he serves his country, but because he is the greatest man I’ve ever known and I know that when “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ends he’ll be free and able to hold his head high just like he has taught me.~ Megan

I arrived on the island and was comfortable for the first few weeks until my platoon mates started asking questions about my sexuality. I denied all of it. It was the day of the 2nd phase. Swim week. I decided I had had enough of the consistent badgering of questions. So I requested to speak to the 3rd BTN Chaplain. I initially told him that I am gay. He said that its a hard discharge and it will take a while for me to get off the Island. So I went forth with it. I was forced to sign paperwork that was demeaning stating that I am a homosexual and was only interested in the sexual nature of men. I am, but to write that out and say it in front of my DIs was extremely embarrassing. I was taken to RSP (Recruit Separation Platoon) where I was at for a month prior to being dropped from training.

The day I was dropped my heavy hat was asking me why I decided to get out this way. He knew of gay Marines. I told him that I did not want to hide who I am. I wanted to be proud of who I am and who I am with. He said that he respected that. As I arrived to my barracks my Senior Drill Instructor and another SDI from follow series was there and they were mocking me. I started to inventory my gear and as I was finishing they said that I would have made a great Marine.

Arriving back at RSP I was met by my RSP DIs. They immediately made me inventory my gear there, then go to Service and Supply battalion to turn in my gear to start my process of getting discharged. I had to sign all my rights away for council. It took me a total of 3 months to get off the island. I could have graduated and gone out into the fleet in that time. Near the end of my stay on the island I was informed that they asked my platoon mates if I approached them sexually.

In a society where masculinity is the rule of thumb, homophobia runs rampant.

I’m Randall, and I GIVE A DAMN!!! Do you?

I was honored that they trust me enough to be themselves. Understand these same people had bled in combat for this nation, they had lost loved ones to wars fought for this nation. Yet they were second class citizens where their sexual orientation was concerned. Having known them for who they truly were, I can tell you they were some of the finest, strongest, bravest, Marines I had the honor of knowing, they understood the ideals of the Corps down to their souls. I think it is past time that we honor them and their service, they earned at least that much from all of us.

A spiteful, misbegotten fear cloaked in a pious shell
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Denny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell

Discharged to stop them tainting other personnel
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Jenny
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

There’s no marker on the battlefield where they fell
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Kenny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell

Just to speak their love’s name was to rebel
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Lenny
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

They understood prejudice only too well
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Penny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

The above is a villanelle I wrote about DADT. No copyright, so if you want to reprint it anywhere, recite it when you’re having a Celebrate Repeal party, whatever, please do.

With love and respect, Ben