The act prohibited any homosexual male, lesbian, or bisexual from disclosing their sexual orientation or from speaking about any same-sex relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States armed forces. The policy prohibited people who 'demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts' from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because their presence 'would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability'.
This relaxation of legal restrictions on service by gays and lesbians in the armed forces was mandated by United States federal law Pub.L. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December 21, 1993, and was in effect from February 28, 1994, until September 20, 2011. ' Don't ask, don't tell' ( DADT) was the official United States policy on military service by gay men, bisexuals, and lesbians, instituted during the Clinton administration.
