Don't ask, don't tell
Don't ask, don't tell was a rule of the United States Military. It said that openly homosexual or bisexual people could not serve in the military. Gay, lesbian, or bisexual people could only serve in their military if they did not tell anyone their sexual orientation. This is sometimes called being "in the closet". Officers were not allowed to ask military members if they were gay. They were also not allowed to discriminate against people who thought they were gay. However, people could be discharged, or sent out of the military, for having sex with a person of the same sex.