Joe Antonelli remembers the number of the question that changed his life: 42a.
He also remembers its wording. It asked, in short, “Do you have homosexual tendencies?”
He answered “yes” and was rejected from the draft when he was 18 in 1961.
Now, at 67, he only has one thing to say about the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
“It’s about time,” he said.
On Dec. 22, President Barack Obama signed the repeal of the 17-year-old law that kept gay service members from being open about their sexuality. The policy was implemented by the Clinton administration in 1993 as a compromise to the previous ruling of not allowing any homosexuals in the military.
Antonelli, the founder and president of Gainesville Community Alliance, a social group of gay individuals, said the issue is nothing new.
“People had to lead double lives and didn’t pursue careers because of it,” he said.
He said many jobs that were needed in the military could have been filled by gays who either didn’t join because of the policy or were thrown out because of it.
More than 14,000 service members were discharged between 1994 and 2009, according to Servicemembers United, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization.
“It hurt all of us,” Antonelli said.
A.C. Stokes, director of LGBT affairs at UF, agreed that the repeal is a step forward but also said she believes that there should be changes with the military and how it is maintained.
She said she doesn’t know how things will change on campus.
Lt. Col. Bob Quint, a UF Army ROTC recruiter, said he was instructed not to speak about DADT.
UF Navy ROTC had no comment.
The repeal will not be implemented until 60 days after being signed into law.
Ricky Carter, Student Government LGBTQ student affairs director, said he put everything off the day of the Senate vote so he could watch it.
“It was a nice gift at the end of the year,” he said.
For Antonelli, the repeal represents a major step toward equality.
“It can only look best for America in the long run,” he said.
