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The end of the military’s controversial policy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was received with mixed reactions at PCC, but a majority seemed in favor of its demise.

DADT was implemented in 1993 and barred gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

Chief Anthony Briggs, public affairs officer for Navy recruiting in the District of Los Angeles, said that not much has or will change with the end of DADT as far as recruitment goes.

“On Tuesday [Sept. 20], we went on our business as we went on Monday. Yes we’re still open for business,” he said. “What the gay folks have to understand is that there’s not going to be any special treatment. They’re going to have to compete for the job like anyone else.”

Jairo Garcia Saucedo, an English major, and Marine for four-and-a-half years, supported the end of the ban. “In every service there’s going to be gays and lesbians,” he said. “As long as they keep it professional, there’s nothing wrong. There should be no reason to hate them.”

Saucedo knew of two people who were kicked out of the military because of their orientation. “Everyone should be entitled to be open about [their sexuality], but some considerations should be made,” he said.

“In the end, the repeal is good because the people who are affected don’t have to worry about it anymore so long as they’re professional, and the ones who aren’t affected shouldn’t worry either,” Saucedo added.

Briggs said the Navy is still going to continue to look at recruitment requests to see where they are going to get the best results, which includes gay centers.

“Our policy has always been the same and the repeal does not affect anything at all,” he added, since sexuality is not asked about in recruitment.

When DADT was still enforced and “someone actually self-identified themselves, we would stop processing because we had to,” Briggs said. “But now we don’t.”

As far as changes being made in the military over the repeal, Briggs did not have a definite answer since the enforcement of the repeal has barely begun, he said.

Michael Gomez, computer information systems, and a Marine for 11 years from 1995, offered a different opinion.

“If you can carry and shoot a rifle, help me when I’m injured, and do all your duties, then I have no problem,” Gomez said. “It’s the open environment that changes my thoughts and feelings towards that. It’s a personal uncomfortable feeling.”

AC Panella, advisor to Queer Alliance and president of the Gay and Lesbian Staff Organization, said, “Everyone is happy for the repeal; it is long overdue.”

Panella has had a number of friends and students she knew kicked out of the military over their sexuality.

She said the most frustrating part of DADT was the hypocrisy of it. “The military purports itself to be honorable and uphold truth and justice and the like, yet it asked its gay members to lie about themselves.”

“Most of the folks I’ve talked to, that includes ranking officers, said it’s not going to affect camaraderie. One’s sexual orientation doesn’t come up while fighting. It’s absurd.”

She also said that if sexuality is regulated, then heterosexuals should be regulated as well. Even with the repeal, there is still the question about housing for same-sex military families.

“We’re condoning a sexuality by offering services to only heterosexual couples,” she said.

Although Panella said that the repeal is a step forward in advancing civil rights for everyone, there’s still much to be worked on. “The L and B and G part of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) has a great start, but the T was left behind somewhere. A transgender person can still be kicked out.”

A.C. Panella, Speech Instructor, is seen in the office on Sept. 28. (Ben Kong / Courier )

Michael Gomez, former Marine, expresses his opinion on the end of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the Veteran Research Center on Sept. 27. (Ben Kong / Courier)

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