Transcending a readiness frame for LGBTQ rights in the military

Introduction

On the morning of Sept. 20, 2011, Lt. Col. Brenda Cartier exited the Metro and joined the steady flow of uniformed military officers and civilians in suits passing through security at the Pentagon. It was a day like any other, but on this day, as she scanned her military ID and navigated the turnstile, a wave of relief washed over her.

On the other side, life at the center of the United States Department of Defense went on with comforting regularity. Despite predictions of catastrophe from those who opposed the right of Lt. Col. Cartier and others like her to serve openly as lesbian, gay or bisexual military members, what unfolded that day was a historic non-event. The repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) — the law that prohibited lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)  military personnel from revealing their sexual orientation — was implemented without resistance or fanfare. As Biden Administration nominee, Army veteran, and LGBTQ+ advocate Sue Fulton put it: “In the months leading up to the repeal the Services had braced for impact. What they encountered wasn’t even a speed bump.”