“It’s hard to find words to express how happy and relieved we are at National Stonewall Democrats that the despicable Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has finally been repealed. For the last 17 years, we have watched many in our country pretend DADT was necessary and right, when in fact it was neither. Today’s action by the US Senate begins to close a chapter of discrimination in the military based on sexual orientation that is hundreds of years long. Today, President Obama can say that he delivered on a big promise to our community and to the American people.

“As Americans, we can be proud that integrity and justice are the big winners today, not partisan politics.

“It goes without saying that we are very grateful for the hard work of Senate Democrats – not least of which Majority Leader Reid and Chairman Levin – who kept the path to repeal open when we thought it was lost, and who provided the vast majority of votes for repeal. It would be ungracious of us to not also thank the of Republican Senators who showed courage and bucked the obstructionist leadership of their party by voting to help restore integrity to our military.

“We also thank the tireless work of the patriots in the LGBT and allied communities who have been involved with the repeal effort, and we thank our own NSD members for their thousands upon thousands of letters, phone calls and in-person meetings that helped move the country toward repeal.

“Finally, we continue to be deeply appreciative of the brave women and men in uniform who currently serve and have served our country, some at incredible sacrifice, who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. We know the heavy burden that serving silently has been for them and we are humbled by their service under such difficult circumstances. We have been honored to have been able to fight for them in our own way – as they fight and have fought for our country.”