The Senate on Saturday struck down the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. military.

By a vote of 65 to 31, with eight Republicans joining Democrats, the Senate handed President Obama a major political victory, allowing him to fulfill a campaign promise to end the controversial policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The repeal now goes to Obama for signing.

“By ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay,” the president said in a statement. “And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.”

Some likened the repeal to the end of racial segregation in the military.

QUESTION: Do you agree with those who compare the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" to the end of racial segregation?

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