Quigley Statement on Senate Vote to Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Statement

Immediately following the United States Senate's vote to repeal the discriminatory policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement:

"Today, we have righted a wrong. We have repealed a policy that was both morally repugnant and counter-productive to our national security. We have taken an extraordinary step toward equal rights for all Americans. Today, we have done the right thing.

Last week, I spoke on the House floor about the Congressional Cemetery, the final resting place of Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich. Technical Sergeant Matlovich was a recipient of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his distinguished service in Vietnam. As a Race Relations Instructor, he was instrumental in helping the military overcome its past legacy of racial discrimination, but he fell victim to the Air Force's discriminatory ban on gays and was discharged in 1975.

His headstone, in sight of our Capitol dome, reads "When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."

When it comes to matters of equality, it is always the right time to do the right thing.

Today, we did the right thing."

Source