The Senate on Saturday cleared a crucial hurdle in repealing the controversial 17-year-old ‘don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gays serving openly in the military, all but ensuring the repeal will become law.

The procedural cloture vote marked a historic – and emotional – moment for the gay-rights movement and handed President Barack Obama a surprising political victory in the closing days of the 111th Congress. The legislation had been left for dead as recently as last week after Republicans in the Senate blocked efforts to advance it.

A final vote on the House-passed bill is expected yet Saturday afternoon and would usher in a major cultural shift for a military that has operated under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy since the early years of Bill Clinton’s presidency.

In a rare Saturday session, the 63-33 vote – three more than needed to beat back a Republican filibuster – capped months of uncertainty about whether Congress or the federal courts, where gay-rights advocates are fighting the ban, would act first to repeal the policy.

But with support from all but one member of the Democratic caucus and help from six Republicans, the bill overcame the 60-vote threshold required to move forward.

The Republican senators voting “yes” with the Democrats were Mark Kirk of Illinois, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who previously stated he opposes repeal, was the only Democrat to miss the vote.

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During my 26 years in uniform, I observed the actions and interactions of many young red-blooded American men. I was in command of some of them and had to settle problems or right injustices before they harmed team or unit morale. In general, a military unit functions much better than an equivalent civilian unit because of the self-discipline, unity of purpose, teamwork, mutual respect and sense of "family".

The guys in a good unit hang together on-duty and off. They have the same off-duty interests, might go to Friday happy-hour as a group, they just "like" each other. -- This whole dynamic goes bad if one of the guys is a gay. Nobody wants to associate with him or to be seen with him. The most macho of young men has some sensitivity about his "image". Nobody wants to share a barracks dormitory room or shower with a faggot. Deployment time? Who are the unlucky SOBs that have to share a tent with the queer?

Sooner or later, some poor GI who has a problem with alcohol and/or anger management is going to decide that he has had enough of the fairy and he is going to take it upon himself to beat the shit out of him. That poor GI, who was just looking for a chance to serve his country, maybe save some money for college, is now facing felony manslaughter charges and a ruined life.

The faggot who exercised his legal right to go play with the real men is dead.

But everyone is going to act amazed the first time it happens.