In September 2011, the United States lifted the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy, which barred gays, lesbians and bisexuals to serve openly in the military. . It was the first time in American history that people of all sexual orientations could serve openly (“11 Facts About,” n.d.). It was a momentous occasion for some and less so for others. For those in the military who had served in secret and those who were staunchly opposed to gays and lesbians, this repeal had a different meaning. Both groups included members who served in the military for years and were the product of former President Bill Clinton's 1993 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. For many soldiers of that era, communication problems were due to a pre-existing mentality, rules and regulations learned in hardened services over two decades, and general culture in combat-related fields. “Politically, the United States and its citizens were not very tolerant of openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals. Before World War II, homosexuals were not specifically excluded from the army, although sodomy was considered a criminal offense as early as the War of Independence. However, by the start of World War II, the military had moved from excluding acts considered homosexual to focusing on members considered homosexual. In 1942, the Army issued its first regulation containing a paragraph defining the difference between a homosexual and a normal person. In fact, this regulation also outlined procedures for rejecting homosexual recruits. (Martinez, Hebl and Law, 2012). The military based these procedures on medical justifications and psychiatric examination for...... middle of paper...... calves. NBC News. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/10/13782623-no-negative-impacts-from-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-study-reveals? liteMartinez, LR, Hebl, MR and Law, CL (2012). How information about sexuality affects attitudes and behaviors toward gay service members. Military Psychology (Taylor & Francis Ltd), 24(5), 461-472. doi:10.1080/08995605.2012.716266 Moradi, B. (2009). Sexual orientation disclosure, concealment, harassment, and military cohesion: Perceptions of LGBT...lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender veterans. Military Psychology (Taylor & Francis Ltd), 21(4), 513-533. Rich, C., Schutten, J., & Rogers, R.A. (2012). “Don’t Drop the Soap”: Organizing Sexualities in the Repeal of America’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Military Policy. Communications Monographs, 79(3), 269-291. do I:10.1080/03637751.2012.697633