WASHINGTON - December 22 - President Obama today signed into law a bill repealing the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The president called for the policy's repeal in his State of the Union address in January.

The American Civil Liberties Union commended both Congress and the president for reversing the failed policy and urged swift implementation of its repeal.

The following can be attributed to Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

"We commend both Congress and the president for making the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' a priority. Today is an historic step forward for those who have lived their lives in silence while serving our country and for all Americans who believe in fairness and equality.

"The reversal of this policy should serve as a message that discrimination has no place in our laws. The law now must be implemented by the Department of Defense to ensure that no more service members are unfairly discharged. The sooner the law is implemented, the sooner our gay and lesbian service members can begin serving their country with honesty and dignity."