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This week, the LGBT community received several pieces of welcome news. While President Obama was in South America, he came together with Brazilian President Rousseff to support the establishment of a special representative on LGBT issues at the Organization of American States.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that President Obama had directed them to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court. The President has always believed DOMA, a law denying equal rights to gay and lesbian Americans because of contradictions in federal and state laws, to be discriminatory and unfair. Now, the President has directed his administration accordingly and deemed a key component of this law unconstitutional, reaffirming his continued effort to achieve greater equality for all Americans.

During the past two years, President Obama and Congressional Democrats have been fighting hard on behalf of the American people. Working to secure economic stability, fairness, and opportunity and overcoming challenges largely inherited when President Obama took office.

President Obama signed into law the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” yesterday, putting in motion the end of a law that saw more than 14,000 members of the military discharged for being gay over the past 17 years. The President was joined by former members of the military who left or were expelled because of the discriminatory law, as well members of Congress who helped to secure repeal.

President Obama signed into law this morning the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Addressing his remarks to the gay men and women currently serving in the military, he said: “For a long time your service has demanded a particular kind of sacrifice. You’ve been asked to carry the added burden of secrecy and isolation."

The Senate has voted 65-31 to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Seventeen years after the introduction of the discriminatory law, which bans gay men and women from serving openly in the military, the Senate has finally voted for repeal.

This morning the Senate voted 63-33 to move forward with repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the discriminatory law which bans gay men and women from openly serving in the military.

In a message to supporters, Chairman Tim Kaine urges people to call their senators and ask them to support the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the passage of the DREAM Act.