WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Barack Obama last week certified the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the policy preventing gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military.

“Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

The move came after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the Joint Chiefs of Staff certified that the military was ready to end the ban.

Each member of the Joint Chiefs had to submit a recommendation to Panetta, indicating that they are far enough in their training to repeal DADT, and that it will not have an impact on military readiness.

“As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country,” Obama wrote.

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy forced gays and lesbians to keep their sexual orientation secret if they wanted to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Last year, Obama signed a landmark law repealing the policy.