Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT)

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Tammy Story

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Daniel Cobos

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Lauren Ward

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Lynne Mytty

Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) was a United States policy on military service by lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals in effect from 1994 -2011. The policy allowed military service for LGB individuals, as long as they remained closeted. This meant they could not disclose their sexual orientation or engage in "homosexual conduct".


All interviews were collected in 2016-2020 for the Queer Omaha Archives in UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections. The first interviews were collected by Dr. Jay Irwin in 2016 and his students in the Intro to LGBTQ Studies Sociology course in fall 2016. Since 2017, Luke Wegener has collected interviews for LGBTQ+ Voices: The Queer Omaha Archives Oral History Project. 

Oral history is one of many sources available to consult as part of your research. It reflects the experience of an individual and shares personal opinions offered by the interviewee in response to questioning. Additional sources can verify and provide additional information to the narrative of events presented in oral histories. Contact UNO Libraries’ Archives & Special Collections to continue your research, find additional sources, or learn more.