Washington ( CNN ) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday led jubilant legislators and soldiers discharged under the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy in singing `` God Bless America '' to celebrate the upcoming repeal of the controversial law . President Barack Obama will sign the repeal bill on Wednesday , and Pelosi did her part at the ceremony attended by hundreds of supporters of the repeal by signing the measure passed by Congress to send it to the White House . The `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy enacted in 1993 banned openly gay and lesbian soldiers from military service . More than 14,000 military members have been discharged because of it . Pelosi , a California Democrat , said the military will be made stronger by including all Americans who want to serve without making gay and lesbian members lie about who they are . `` Is n't this a joyful day ? '' she said , adding that the repeal measure will `` change the law , improve the policy , make life better for many Americans , and make our country stronger . '' Pelosi then asked all in attendance to sing `` God Bless America . '' At the end , Democratic Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts , one of the first openly gay House members , could be seen wiping his eyes . Earlier , Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania told the gathering of an e-mail he received from a company commander in Afghanistan , who mentioned how he often had to counsel soldiers who received divorce papers or `` Dear John '' letters from spouses or opposite-sex partners . Murphy continued : `` This young company commander , this captain , on his fourth deployment , wrote in that e-mail saying , ' I never thought I 'd see the day when I got one of those letters myself . And I 'm sitting here at three o'clock in the morning in Kabul , Afghanistan , and I have no where to go because I happen to be gay , and I ca n't walk to the chaplain , and I ca n't go to a battle buddy , and I ca n't walk to my commander 's office , so I 'm sitting here cradling my 9 mm pistol thinking about blowing my brains out . But I read this article about this Iraq war veteran named Patrick Murphy from Pennsylvania that 's fighting for me , and it gives me hope . ' '' The repeal bill , a campaign promise by Obama , won Senate approval on Saturday in the final days of the lame-duck session . The House passed it twice -- first as part of a broader defense bill that was blocked by Senate Republicans , and then in the separate measure passed by the Senate . Conservative Republicans opposed the repeal , saying it would put too much stress on a military fighting two wars . However , Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen both called for a congressional repeal with a set phase-in timetable , warning that `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' could otherwise be abruptly overturned by the courts . Under the repeal measure , the Pentagon will finish developing an implementation plan that rewrites policies , regulations and directives . Once that potentially lengthy process is complete , Obama , Gates and Mullen will each have to certify that the repeal can move ahead without negatively affecting military readiness and unit cohesion . After the certification , another 60 days will need to pass before the repeal is officially enacted . CNN 's Tom Cohen contributed to this story .
NEW : Rep. Murphy tells about a gay soldier 's email to him . President Obama will sign the repeal bill Wednesday . House Speaker Pelosi calls it a `` joyful day '' Pelosi leads a celebrating crowd in singing `` God Bless America ''