President Barack Obama took the final major step toward ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” by certifying its repeal on Friday. “I have certified and notified Congress that the requirements for repeal have been met,” Obama said in a statement.

“‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will end, once and for all, in 60 days – on September 20, 2011.”

In 60 days, gay and lesbian service members will be allowed to serve openly in the military, which conservatives argue will harm unit cohesion and retention.

“Twenty-four percent of service members said repeal would have a negative impact on their ‘intentions to remain in the military,’ a number six times higher than those who said it would have a positive effect,” Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said.

“President Obama, Secretary Panetta and Admiral Mullen have no basis – other than liberal political correctness – for ‘certifying’ that a reversal of this longstanding policy would do no harm.”

The 1993 policy banning gays from serving openly in the military had been put in place as a compromise between then president Bill Clinton, who advocated lifting the ban on gays, and a conservative Congress.

When Obama took office, he vowed to gay rights groups that he would repeal DADT. In December 2010, Congress passed the repeal and the legislation was signed by Obama who called for swift implementation of the bill.

The ban has remained in place while service members have been undergoing training for the lifting of DADT this year.

Under the bill, the secretary of defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president must certify the military’s readiness to implement the repeal in order to allow it to take effect.

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