The origins of "don't ask, don't tell" were based largely on ignorance and discriminatory fears. With its demise, we must take the fight to other laws crafted in that same vein.
Nationally, the federal Defense of Marriage Act comes to mind. In the Senate, Democratic Sens. Udall and Michael Bennet are co-sponsors of a measure that would repeal it. Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, and Jared Polis, D-Boulder, have signed on to a companion measure in the House.
At the state level, that means passing legislation that creates legally recognized civil unions until such time as voters agree to the repeal of Amendment 43, the 2006 measure that outlawed gay marriage in the state.
We are on the path to progress in America. But we will not reach the end point until we have removed all of those barriers that penalize our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters, based solely on their sexual orientation.
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