[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13947]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  ``DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL'' IS HISTORY

  (Mr. MORAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, last year, I read on the House floor a letter 
from an active duty servicemember in Afghanistan. He shared how he and 
his partner of 10 years had managed the hardship that comes along with 
three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite their shared 
sacrifices, his partner received no support from the military and would 
not be officially informed of his death.
  While serving on active duty, he became aware of a number of other 
soldiers who were gay. In one case, it was only after a friend died of 
wounds from an IED, and he received a letter from the deceased 
soldier's partner, expressing how much he had loved the Army. Of 
course, this letter had to be sent anonymously because, until 
yesterday, its very existence could have led to the soldier's 
discharge.
  The indignity of concealing who you are and who you love in order to 
protect your country has ended. No longer will we subject the brave men 
and women who volunteer to serve our Nation to a shameful vow of 
silence, asking them to lie about themselves. This policy was wrong; 
and now it's history, and our Nation and our military are stronger as a 
result.
  To all who serve our Nation in uniform, we are so proud of each and 
every one of you.

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