A Nation Celebrates The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” finally died at midnight last night, meaning thousands of people can serve openly in the military for the first time. Here are a few of them, and their partners, in celebration of the repeal.

Navy Lt. Gary Ross and his partner Dan Swezy got married at the stroke of midnight last night, the moment “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” officially ended. Ross wore his dress uniform.

A man sports an “I Survived DADT” shirt signed by friends at a bar in San Diego.

Two men celebrate the end of DADT, also in San Diego.

An active-duty naval officer hugs her partner.

“J.D. Smith,” a pseudonymous commentator and anti-DADT activist, can now reveal his real identity: he’s Air Force First Lt. Joshua David Seefried.

World War II veteran Melvin Dwork, pictured in his old uniform, was discharged from the Navy for being gay. Now his discharge has been changed from “undesirable” to “honorable” as a result of the DADT repeal.

Now that DADT has been repealed, Heather Lamb is engaged to marry her partner of six years, who’s in the Air Force.