In a landmark vote yesterday, the US House of Representatives voted to repeal the 16-year-old Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law banning LGBT servicemembers from serving openly in the military. The Senate, whose Armed Services Committee also approved attaching the repeal bill to the 2011 defense budget yesterday, is expected to vote soon on the measure. The bill postpones a full repeal until after the Pentagon concludes its study of how to implement a repeal on December 1st, and after the President, Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that a repeal would not harm military readiness (read a warning to serving LGBT soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen from the Servicemembers’ Legal Defense Fund here). While many have criticized the terms of the repeal, citing military leaders’ attempts to assert their control over the certification decision among other points, LGBT leaders in the House have expressed confidence that the White House and military would not dare to oppose Congress on this issue.

Elsewhere…

D.C. – A heartbreaking love letter from one World War 2 GI to another, discovered last month in the Library of Congress. (Servicemembers’ Legal Defense Network)

D.C. – Wale, the rap artist who pulled out from DC’s Black Pride under suspiciously homophobic circumstances, has reversed course and will appear at the festival for free as a guest artist. (MetroWeekly)

New York – GENDA, New York State’s gender non-discrimination bill, gets a boost in the state Senate. (The Advocate)

Zimbabwe – Two gay activists released =from prison allege torture while incarcerated. (Joe.My.God)

Uganda – More hints that Uganda will drop the “Kill Gays” bill. (The Box Turtle Bulletin)