The suspense is over: The U.S. Senate finally took a vote on a bill to repeal the ban on openly gay people in the military and passed it, 65 to 31. Having Congress pass that bill, to repeal "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell," and having that bill signed by the President is an important legislative and political milestone.

Dennis and I and the Matthew Shepard Foundation join millions of Americans in and out of uniform today in applauding the United States Senate. It took truly principled action in finally ending the military’s obsolete and discriminatory ban on gay service members serving their country in the military.

The U.S. Senate approved a bill Saturday, Dec. 18, to repeal the 17-year-old law banning openly gay people from serving in the military. The roll call vote on the measure, [...]

WASHINGTON -- In a 65-31 vote this afternoon, the United States Senate has voted to repeal the 17 year old ban on Gays & Lesbians openly serving in the armed [...]

The White House has released President Barack Obama's response to the cloture vote taken earlier this morning in the U. S. Senate.

Reaction was swift today from LGBT activist groups, who praised the Senate's passing of the cloture vote on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Here are some excerpts:

In a closely watched Saturday session of the U. S. Senate, Senators voted on the cloture vote to end debate regarding the measure to end the ban on openly gays and lesbians serving in the armed forces. The cloture vote passed with a vote of 63-33.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) unexpectedly pulled the omnibus bill from the Senate floor on Thursday evening, and instead filed cloture on the stand-alone "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" repeal, clearing the way for a Senate vote this weekend.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday afternoon to approve a measure to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." The vote was 250 to 175.

Lt. Dan Choi, the openly gay Army veteran and gay rights activist who was discharged under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, has been hospitalized after suffering a breakdown.

General James Amos, Commandant of the U. S. Marine Corps., underscored his opposition to repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," telling reporters Tuesday afternoon that Marines fighting in combat units in Afghanistan are extremely concerned that permitting gays to serve openly could disrupt “unit cohesion."

The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to take a vote Wednesday on a stand alone repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" introduced earlier today by Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.).

Activists pushing for repeal of "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell" delivered on a threat Monday and filed a third lawsuit aimed at having the courts strike the military’s ban on openly gay service members.

The Human Rights Campaign has failed our LGBT soldiers, its contributors, and the American people. What our community and the HRC’s contributors now need is leadership that can effect policy change in Washington.

A visibly irritated Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-Nev.), came to the floor of the U. S. Senate earlier this afternoon, and in a short speech announced that efforts to seek a compromise with Senate Republicans on the Defense Authorization Bill had failed, and that he was going to ask for a cloture vote.