SAN FRANCISCO, CA – On today’s 10-year anniversary of the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT), the federal policy that banned openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans from serving in uniform, Palm Center director Aaron Belkin published a commentary in Military Times, the prestigious independent outlet covering military affairs.

In his piece, Belkin describes the broad, multi-year campaign to inform the public and policymakers of the failures of DADT, and the wealth of government, academic, and think tank research showing that anti-LGBTQ discrimination was unnecessary and harmful to the military.

He also connects the successful repeal campaign to the nation’s present struggle to ensure that laws and policies are based on accurate assessments of truth and reality. “Our country is currently in the throes of a consequential battle over the use of information and misinformation,” he writes, “and the anniversary of the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ milestone offers valuable insight into what role hard evidence can play in shaping public policy. Indeed, it offers cause for optimism that facts can still inform policy and successfully contest a culture of deception.”

The piece can be read here.