Aaron Glantz/The Bay Citizen

Former U.S. Navy Petty Officer Joseph Rocha intends to rejoin the military now that DADT is repealed

Rocha, a former petty officer who was discharged from the Navy in 2007 under "don't ask, don't tell," told reporters at a news conference in front of San Francisco's War Memorial Veterans Building that he plans to visit a Marine Corps recruiter, now that the policy banning gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military has been formally repealed.

"Today we celebrate," Rocha said. "Our country and our armed forces have let go of this policy that has for too long been hurting our soldiers and the core values our country is supposed to be representing."

Rocha's comments came a few hours after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced the official repeal of don't ask, don't tell — and nearly 10 months after President Barack Obama signed legislation phasing out the policy.

The legislation required the Defense Department to certify that the military was prepared to accept openly gay and lesbian service members before the repeal could take effect. That certification came in July.

More than 14,000 members of the U.S. military have been discharged for their sexual orientation under the policy since President Bill Clinton signed it into law in 1993.

At the San Francisco press conference, former U.S. Navy Commander Zoe Dunning was among a number of openly gay and lesbian military veterans who arrived in dress uniform.

In 1995, two years after she publicly declared that she was a lesbian, Dunning became the first openly gay service member allowed to remain in the military, after the Navy dropped its efforts to discharge her.

Dunning began to cry as she adressed reporters Tuesday.

"I've never been more proud to wear my uniform and represent this country than today," Dunning said, calling the repeal of don't ask, don't tell "a milestone of the civil rights history of our country."

"This is a day when our military and our nation's laws better reflect the democracy that we are trying to be," she said. 

Even before the formal repeal of don't ask, don't tell, the Pentagon had already begun accepting applications from openly gay and lesbian recruits, according to Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Laenez. In recent months, she said, recruiters have asked recruits who voluntarily revealed their sexual orientation whether they would like their application to be put aside until they could legally join the military.

Now, Laenez said, "openly gay or lesbian applicants will be evaluated according to the same criteria and requirements applicable to all others seeking entry into the military."

Former service members like Rocha, who were discharged under don't ask, don't tell, are now permitted to apply to rejoin the military, but are not guaranteed re-entry.

"The services will continue to base accessions of prior service members on the needs of the service, and the skills and qualifications of the applicants," she said.

Many gay and lesbian veterans say they believe the repeal will help change the culture of the military, reducing homophobic taunts and hazing. When he was stationed in the Persian Gulf, Rocha's superiors ordered him to simulate gay sex while his fellow sailors watched.

Despite the abuse, Rocha said he always intended to rejoin the military.

"It's sort of like a religious calling," Rocha said. "Some of us are called to the uniform and to service to our country that we are wiling to pay the ultimate price for."