The repeal of the policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” will soon bring to a close an era of confusion and inconsistency over the status of gay and lesbian service members.

President Obama was due to sign the repeal today, but it may take as along as a year before the military fully implements it. Despite the debate in Congress, repeal amounts to nothing more than an overdue acknowledgment that no rule of silence is needed to enable gay and straight service members to serve together.

Repeal will protect the rights of individuals, and save the services millions of dollars per year on retraining. More than 13,500 service members were discharged under the law.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell,” was the shorthand description of a policy that promised protection in return for discretion. But it was widely interpreted as a ban on homosexuals in uniform. Gay service members reported being discharged over pictures on their desks, intercepted e-mails, or statements made in casual conversation.

Testifying against the policy in federal court, a former naval officer described how “don’t ask, don’t tell” forced her to lie about how she spent her off-duty time. Telling the truth about her same-sex partner would have put her in violation of the policy, she said, and as soon as she began speaking honestly, the Navy began discharge proceedings against her.

The case made it clear that a good service record could not save someone targeted for discharge because of a same-sex preference. U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips ruled in October that the law violates service members’ rights of due process and free speech.

The decision was stayed pending appeal, but both the secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff urged repeal of the law. A Pentagon study has found that permitting gay service members to serve openly would be unlikely to affect military readiness or cause significant disruption.

Even a week ago, it was not clear whether Congress, caught up in contentious issues at the end of the session could accomplish this goal.

Repeal came about Saturday, thanks to the persistence of its advocates, notably Susan Collins, R-Maine and Joseph Lieberman, I-Connecticut, who successfully pressed for a vote on repeal after it failed as part of a broader Pentagon bill.

Collins and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, were among eight Republicans voting for repeal. After the vote, Collins said: “I want to thank all of the gay men and women who are fighting for us today. We honor your service, and now we can do so openly.”

— Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.