Yesterday it was announced by Rep. Barney Frank, in the Washington Blade ,that DADT's death is eminent in a defense department procurement bill slated for 2011. The Blade reports Rep. Frank as Saying:
“The House will take up and the Senate will take up ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal,” he said. “That will again, like hate crimes, even more so, will have to be done, I believe, in the context of the defense authorization. You can’t do the standalone bill. It belongs in the defense authorization.”
Frank said lawmakers would seek to amend the defense measure to include a provision repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Such a move would mimic the way Congress recently enacted the hate crimes measure.
In the meantime NO ONE is making a move to place a moratorium on DADT. 99% of Pentagon and Capitol Hill talking heads claim that DADT is a useless and destructive policy but as yet, no one wants to be seen as the "homo-lover" who moved to stop it.
And right now GLBTQ people are serving with distinction in armed services all over the world, Including ours, on a day when we remember everyone who gave their lives and freedom to ensure that others may have those very same things. It seems a terrible dishonor to their sacrifice that they continue to be treated as less then their heterosexual counterparts.
During our trip to Washington D.C., we attended a wreath laying ceremony for GLBTQ veterans at Arlington National Cemetery. Lt. Dan Choi was accorded the honor of presenting the wreath IN UNIFORM. It was a beautiful and solemn experience. All during the ceremony I wondered how many Slain Gay and Lesbian soldiers where there in spirit.
Not to put all our eggs in one basket, a stand-alone bill is still moving forward, but without much support:
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) is the sponsor of the standalone version of legislation in the House that would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” No such legislation exists in the Senate, although Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) has said he’s in talks with the Obama administration on the issue.
First poor Rep. Murphy seems to be stand-alone himself. Good on you, sir.
Secondly, all the "Administration" has done, so far, is talk. All this could be over and done with the stroke of one Presidential pen...but clearly democrats of all stripes are too afraid to act alone. Even ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is losing Democratic support because Democratic Legislators..."Don't want to be forced to vote on controversial legislation." as reported on Queerty. So they won't stop us from being ejected from the military and they won't pressure the military to investigate and prosecute gay related hate crimes in the service AND they don't care if your fired from your job for being gay...Hmmmm...anyone else feel a cold draft coming from the Democratic party?
while I am glad that we are seeing some movement on this, pardon me if I keep a sceptical eye on it. I am becoming of the "I'll believe it when I see it" mentality when it comes to gay rights legislation.
America totally does EVERYTHING the best and we are the ultimate awesomest in the history of awesomeness. We clearly don't need to pay attention to how ANYONE in the world does things differently from us, right?....ummmm....*hums "Blame Canada"...
Congratulations sir, on being able to say "Husband" out loud. I know this is not your holiday but to all the servicemen and women out there. Thank you for all you do to ensure the safety and freedom of others...and a happy belated Veterans Day
The wording of the don't ask don't tell document states that if homosexuality was allowed in the army:
ReplyDelete"it would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability."
I have to say that this is pretty offensive to me. The British Army has stood by the US army and fought and died along side them in both current wars.
I am surprised they accepted our help seeing as our army must be immoral and incapable.
I'm pretty sure that if the pentagon could extend its expulsion of gays from the armies of certain other nations they would do so with all haste.
ReplyDeleteWell the pentagon can eat me! Our armed forces conquered two thirds of the surface of the earth not so long ago and they have a proud tradition of buggery!
ReplyDeleteIf anyone's interested, in Russia gay people are allowed to serve openly since 2003 (that's when the military finally amended their provision that homosexuality is a mental disorder, and since mentally ill people were not allowed in the army, gays were kinda forbidden to serve openly or to disclose their homosexuality — pretty much the same "Don't ask, Don't Tell" policy, but more of an insult, since homosexuality was removed from the list of mental illnesses in 1999 in Russia, but only in 2003 it was finally recognized by the military).
ReplyDeleteBut it doesn't mean that gay people really can serve openly in Russian army now, after 2003. Gay hatred, which is kind of a national sport here, is mostly common in the military: with all that masculinity, soldiers just have to hate gays to show they are, in fact, not gays and would never ever "choose that lifestyle." Comedians on local television make jokes that Moscow mayor should let gays to have their parade (which was never allowed anywhere in Russia, though every year since 2006 people try to march in Moscow), but only on August 2 (which happens to be Airborne Forces Day, which is widely celebrated in Russia by paratroopers partying in parks, swimming in pools, breaking bricks & bottles, getting really drunk and bashing anyone they don't like... so why not give them gays from that parade to bash? everyone would be grateful!). And people laugh. Real hard. And there is no GLAAD to say something. Talk about legislation and its real implementation.