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On this day - 20 September

Historical items of interest as featured in the papers of the day.

Image of the newspaper page from Morning Star 20/09/2011

End of "Don't ask don't tell" policy

Morning Star 20/09/2011

The "Don't ask don't tell" policy in the US military began in December 1993 and was the official stance on non-heterosexual people serving in that time. It barred openly homosexual or bisexual individuals from serving and prevented discrimination against those serving who were not openly homosexual or bisexual.

This policy came to an end on September 20th 2011. Despite this, it took until 2013 with the landmark United States v. Windsor case before spousal benefits were extended to those serving in same sex marriages in line with opposite sex marriages.

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