tagged w/ Don't Ask Don't Tell
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YPNation contributor Ewan Watt reminds conservatives of their roots a la Barry Goldwater--a reverence for individual liberty and small government! He asks that Republicans and conservatives alike reconsider their stance on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Their current position, he says, is doing them no favors.
Here is some of what he had to say:
"Goldwater's piece almost reads as though it had been published this morning. I say this not just because Goldwater cites the bad economy, or that a Democrat is president, but because the political debate has moved very little in the last 15 years. Still, it appears the public is in favor of overturning this wretched policy. Unfortunately, the political class seems to be dragging its feet.
My support for overturning "Don't Ask..." stems from anecdotes from a good friend of mine who served as a captain in Afghanistan. He talked of the damage to morale in his company when the only Pashtun speaker was pulled off the frontlines because he was gay. According to Clausewitz, maintaining morale is the most critical aspect of war. And to think that people oppose allowing gays to serve in the military because they would disrupt discipline? Goldwater called this line of opposition "just stupid.""YPNation contributor Ewan Watt reminds conservatives of their roots a la Barry... more
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Jon Stewart skewered Fox News last night for covering every tea party protest in America (no matter how small) but not sending a reporter, or even a camera crew, to cover Sunday's gay rights march which included more than 75,000 protesters. Stewart and his team at the "Daily Show" counted how much time Fox devoted to even speaking about the march on Washington and it totaled less than 4 minutes.Jon Stewart skewered Fox News last night for covering every tea party protest in... more
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"The gay community should stop rewarding President Obama's pretty speeches—like his address this weekend to the Human Rights Campaign—and demand action on Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Meghan McCain writes"The gay community should stop rewarding President Obama's pretty speeches—like his... more
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Skilled Linguist serving in the military is getting the boot for coming out on The Rachel Maddow Show. He's fighting hard against prop 8 and, obviously, the joke of a policy that is 'don't ask don't tell'.
Read more about him and the incident on the Wikipedia page that I have linked, and let's generate a discussion about this in the comment section below.Skilled Linguist serving in the military is getting the boot for coming out on The... more
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"I will end 'don't ask, don't tell,'" President Obama said at the Human Rights Campaign fundraising dinner for the nation's largest gay advocacy group."I will end 'don't ask, don't tell,'" President Obama said at the Human Rights... more
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Tonight at a dinner for the Human Rights Campaign, President Obama said his administration is "moving forward" with the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. I for one would like to hear him say, "I'm Commander-in-Chief, I'm repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell today and gay and lesbian Americans can serve openly in the United States military just as straight Americans do." Then let the Republicans explain why they're so hell-bent on rescinding the rights of good Americans to serve the country they love.
If you have a problem with homosexuality, fine. Then don't practice it. If it's against your religion, fine. No one is forcing you to have gay friends or accept a gay couple into your church. But denying someone their basic rights as a citizen just because you don't like them or their lifestyle is wrong.
The bottom line is, the US government should be in the business of safeguarding peoples rights, not denying them.Tonight at a dinner for the Human Rights Campaign, President Obama said his... more
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Yes indeed do it for the funny reason's but also do it for the right reason!
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Last night I met a woman who has served two tours in Iraq as a medic for the Navy. She talked about how she loved to serve. She talked about how she felt afraid when she got wind of her orders out on the convoy. She also talked about the day she signed off on 1) Not using drugs and 2) How she was NOT a homosexual. She signed off hesitantly. She's gay. So what? She signed off on #2 and served 2 Tours and put her life on the line like a soldier. She is a great soldier or I should say she WAS a great soldier.
The pressures and secrecy of being gay and in the military proved too heavy and she did not re-enlist. She told me if things change in the next few years - she would love to go back and serve.
New Rule: Everyone Deserves Equal Rights by Bill Maher
New Rule: Everyone deserves equal rights. That's why they're called "equal" and "rights." Tomorrow night President Obama will speak before a gay rights group, and on Sunday there will be a massive gay rally in Washington, or as I call it, the Million Mo March. Which makes this weekend the perfect time for Obama to announce he's repealing "don't ask, don't tell" and committing to a full-throated endorsement of gay marriage. One, because it's the right thing to do and two, because it will throw the conservative base into such a frenzied, pants-shitting panic that they'll drop all that BS about death panels and socialism and let us all get some actual work done.
But of course that's not going to happen. I can tell you what the president is going to tell his audience tomorrow: How much he supports them. How much he agrees with them. And how he wishes he was President so he could help them out. But here's the thing about being president. There isn't a lot you can do without either Congress, Oprah or Goldman Sachs behind you. But there is one thing the president can do with the stroke of a pen: He can let gays serve openly in the military. It's called an executive order. Harry Truman wrote one in 1948 for blacks in the military, and that was that.
"Don't ask, don't tell" has always been bad policy that was made out of a bullshit political compromise. You know, like you're doing now with health care. It never made sense to begin with: "Here in the Army we're all about honor. And trusting the man next to you. Now lie to my face about your sexuality, Johnson, or I'll report you behind your back." But forget all the good arguments for repeal, like because it was promised to us in the campaign or because it gets lonely on a submarine. Do it because it'll make Rush Limbaugh explode like a bag full of meat dropped from a helicopter. Do it because it'll make Sarah Palin go rogue in her pants.
Because here's the thing about today's conservatives: they're not bright. They can't keep a lot of ideas in their head at once. And by "a lot" I mean "two." If we can get them all worked up about fighting the gay menace, it will siphon away all that crazy, right wing, town-hall energy from all the other big issues they've been fighting. The tea-baggers don't know what the word "socialism" means. But they do know what the word "gay" means, because their hairdresser explained it to them once, and they don't like it. They will be drawn to it like a moth to a flamer. Bush was practically re-elected on a promise to keep boys from kissing. Which is ridiculous, because if you want to stop gays from having sex, wouldn't you let them get married?
But seriously, the shear rage of the tea-baggers can be so easily redirected that some times I wonder if Rush doesn't just spin a giant wheel of hate every morning to come up with ACORN! William Ayers! Birth certificate! It's like faking throwing a stick for the dog. "War on Christmas." "Obama's talking to school children." And "gay" is the easiest stick to throw.
Health care and the environment are complicated, but it's not hard to keep track of the places that God allows you to put your pee-pee. I mean, you can count those places on one hand. And that hand isn'Last night I met a woman who has served two tours in Iraq as a medic for the Navy. She... more
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Sixteen years after passage of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, there is reason to hope that the military is edging away from its destructive opposition to allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly. At the very least, a prize-winning essay in a prominent military journal suggests that the issue is open to debate and even dissent.
The essay, which won this year’s Secretary of Defense essay contest and was reviewed in advance of publication by the office of Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was published in Joint Force Quarterly. It was written by an Air Force colonel who researched the impact of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The law was enacted in 1993 after President Bill Clinton tried to lift an existing policy against homosexuals serving in the military and met strong resistance from military and Congressional leaders.
By cementing homophobic military policy into law, Congress made a bad situation worse. It reached a so-called compromise by which homosexuals could serve — but only if they did not acknowledge their orientation or act on it. If they did, they could be discharged. About 12,500 service members have been forced out, including many with distinguished records or invaluable language and intelligence skills.
The author of the essay, Col. Om Prakash, effectively demolishes the primary, wrongheaded rationale for the law: that unit cohesion would be harmed if homosexuals served openly. Several other countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel and Britain, have lifted bans on homosexuals serving openly with no adverse effects on military performance or readiness.
Colonel Prakash argues that the law has undermined unit cohesion, in part by compromising the integrity of homosexuals who have to dissemble and by posing a moral quandary for commanders — look the other way or risk discharging a valuable service member. He judged the policy a “costly failure” because of the lost manpower and the administrative costs of recruiting and separating homosexuals. He urged the Obama administration to examine how to repeal the ban.
We agree strongly with Colonel Prakash, and urge the Pentagon to press ahead with changes in its regulations to make implementing the “don’t ask” law more humane. Ultimately, Congress must repeal the 1993 statute. We are not confident that the Senate has enough enlightened members to overcome a filibuster. But if the military can show an open mind, surely lawmakers can summon the courage to end this sad chapter in history.Sixteen years after passage of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, there is... more
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What if your loved one was prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice of fighting for their country, but that same country doesn’t want you to exist?What if your loved one was prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice of fighting for... more
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Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) has withdrawn an attempt to weaken "Don't Ask Don't Tell" under "pressure" from the White House, he said Wednesday.
Hastings' amendment would have added language to a defense appropriations bill that prohibited "spending money to investigate or discharge members of the military who reveal they are homosexual or bisexual."
Hastings told the Palm Beach Post that those urging him to drop his amendment "didn't want to tie the politics of this in with the appropriations process." He wouldn't name names, saying only that "I didn't talk to Barack Obama."
On MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show" Wednesday night, Hastings pushed back:
"I have a different political calculus. If something is bigoted and if your intent is to see to it that it does not continue, then I did not understand the leadership of Congress or the White House in saying that the time is not right. My position is the president has said he wishes that this matter be repealed. My colleague Patrick Murphy [D-Pa.] now has more than 170 co-sponsors on a measure to repeal it. Secretary [of Defense Robert] Gates has said, I'm glad he is now saying, 'when we change our policy.' Last year he would have been saying 'if,' but my view is that the time is now to eliminate this bigoted law once and for all."Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) has withdrawn an attempt to weaken "Don't Ask Don't Tell"... more
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Crowds packed 5th Avenue in Manhattan for New York City's 2009 Gay Pride Parade. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a violent clash that ushered in the gay liberation movement.
By Video Journalist Olu Gittens (Producer / Reporter/ Cameraperson / Editor / Writer / Narrator)
Program on Manhattan Neighborhood Network
Production Facilities courtesy of MNN
Copyright 2009 by Olu GittensNEW YORK, NEW YORK - Crowds packed 5th Avenue in Manhattan for New York City's 2009... more
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NEW YORK -- When it comes to dealing with gay personnel in the ranks, the contrasts are stark among some of the world's proudest, toughest militaries - and these differing approaches are invoked by both sides as Americans renew debate over the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
In the United States, more than 12,000 service members have been dismissed since 1994 because it became known they were gay. Current targets for discharge include a West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran, Army National Guard Lt. Dan Choi.
In Britain, on the other hand, uniformed gay and lesbian service members marched in the annual Pride London parade July 4. Gay Australian soldiers and sailors had their own float in Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras parade. In Israel, the army magazine earlier this year featured two male soldiers on the cover, hugging one another.
America's "don't ask, don't tell" policy - which prohibits gays from serving openly - is the target of intensifying opposition, and President Barack Obama says he favors lifting the ban. But he wants to win over skeptics in Congress and the Pentagon, and a fierce debate lies ahead that will inevitably touch on the experiences of allied nations that have no bans.
More at linkNEW YORK -- When it comes to dealing with gay personnel in the ranks, the contrasts... more
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Even before the US secretary of defence, Robert Gates, announced that he wanted to make the law dealing with gays in the military "more humane", supporters of "don't ask, don't tell", or DADT, the regulation that bans gay men and lesbians from openly serving in the US military, began overlooking the facts in order to maintain the policy.
The New York Times quoted Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, to help explain why the Obama administration is unwilling to begin the process of repealing DADT. Perkins asserted that "the administration is not willing to go there … because I think the American public isn't there."
Elaine Donnelly, president of the Centre for Military Readiness, pointed to a different rationale in a recent interview with National Public Radio. Donnelly admits that American culture may have changed, but she wrongly claims that "military culture has not changed. [DADT] is just as valid now as it ever was."
Perkins and Donnelly's statements may have been true when President Bill Clinton tried to end the ban on gays in the military in 1993, but they are no longer true today.
In 1993 only 44% of the American people supported ending the ban. This number steadily increased in the intervening years — 62% favoured lifting the ban in 2001 and 75% favoured its repeal as of last year.
More importantly the men and women in uniform also no longer favour this discriminatory, costly and counterproductive policy. In 1993, 75% of service men and 55% of service women opposed lifting the ban. But service members' opinions have come full circle in the last decade and half. A December 2006 Zogby International poll [PDF] found that 73% of military personnel say they are comfortable interacting with gay people.Even before the US secretary of defence, Robert Gates, announced that he wanted to... more
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Even as Pentagon lawyers begin trying to ease the "Don't ask, don't tell" prohibition on gays serving openly in the U.S. military, the murder last week of an apparently gay sailor at California's Camp Pendleton has raised new questions over the readiness of the armed forces to accept openly homosexual personnel. Seaman August Provost of Houston was shot and killed while standing nighttime guard at his base on June 30. His body was found at about 3 a.m. after his guard shack had been torched, apparently to destroy evidence surrounding his slaying, according to Navy officials. Provost was gay, according to his family, gay activists and his MySpace page, and had reportedly "come out" to some of his Navy colleagues. Two California Democratic members of Congress, Susan Davis and Bob Filner, have asked the military to investigate whether Provost's sexual orientation was the reason for his murder. Local gay activists have also asked for such a probe, and are planning a candlelight vigil outside Camp Pendleton's gates this Friday, several hours after memorial services for Provost are to be held in Texas. The Navy has said there is no indication that the 28-year-old sailor was the target of a hate crime, but officials also decline to specify a suspected motive. "As it stands right now, we have no indication that there is any tie to what may or may not have been his sexuality," a senior Navy officer in San Diego said Monday afternoon. This officer expressed frustration with blog and media reports saying Provost had been brutalized — in addition to being shot. "He did suffer gunshot wounds, and there was a fire in a pretty clear attempt to destroy evidence," he said. "But he was not bound, he was not gagged and he was not mutilated." At least two suspects — both sailors — have been questioned. One remains in custody and is expected to be charged.
Navy officials admit that they hope there is no link between Provost's killing and his sexual orientation, because his death comes at a delicate time for the Obama Administration on the issue of gays in the military. Following President Clinton's bumbled 1993 effort to force the military to accept openly gay personnel in its ranks, Congress — abetted by the military — passed legislation making "Don't ask, don't tell" the law. Prior to the Clinton Administration, the ban on gays serving had simply been a presidential directive that could be unilaterally reversed by the White House. But now that it has been written into law, it will take a majority of both houses of Congress to lift the ban. The Obama Administration has asked the military for its advice on how best to do that, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday that he has told Obama to make the change "in a measured way." Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week his staff is seeking ways that the law can be applied "in a more humane way."
Indeed, Provost's murder comes almost 10 years to the day that Army Private First Class Barry Winchell was killed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, after he was suspected of being gay. Gay activists argued at the time that an antigay climate at Fort Campbell played a role in Winchell's July 6, 1999, murder; the soldier convicted of his killing was sentenced to life in prison.
The Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, a think tank that studies gender and sexual issues in the military, issued a legal memo on Monday detailing just what Gates could do to reduce the impact of "Don't ask, don't tell" on military personnel. (According to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which opposes the ban, a total of 284 military personnel have been kicked from the ranks since President Obama came into office promising to end it.) Among other options, Gates could order the retention of all service members targeted under the law for a limited period of time by citing the nation's security needs.Even as Pentagon lawyers begin trying to ease the "Don't ask, don't tell" prohibition... more
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A Beaumont woman has claimed that her nephew, who was a sailor stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, was a hate crime victim. And now his partner is speaking out about his death.
The Associated Press has reported that Rose Roy of Beaumont said her nephew Navy Seaman August Provost III complained a year before he was killed that he was being harassed because he was gay.
She reportedly advised Provost to document the incidents and alert the military, but says he was discouraged by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
The 29-year-old from Houston died of multiple gunshot wounds Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at Camp Pendleton, located north of San Diego. He was on guard duty at the time. A "person of interest" is in custody, but no charges have been filed.
On Saturday, July 4, 2009, his partner spoke out about the killing.
A Navy spokesperson said the investigation into Seaman Provost's death is ongoing but that the murder does not appear to be a hate crime.
Captain Matt Brown said despite concerns by gay rights activists, investigators found no evidence that Provost was killed because of his sexual orientation. Brown declined to disclose any other suspected motive.A Beaumont woman has claimed that her nephew, who was a sailor stationed at Camp... more
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Fairness does work. Unfortunately millions are not protected from unfair job termination because of sexual orientation or gender identity. Join the Impact hopes to change the landscape by helping pass three important pieces of legislation, the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT), and the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).
The American Dream is a fundamental promise to each and every citizen that they have the opportunity to advance beyond their current condition to a better life rich with opportunity. The Dream is an ideal our country continues to strive for but does not always fulfill. For some gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people the Dream is challenged by workplace discrimination and early termination based solely on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Yesterday, June 30, Lt. Dan Choi who has worked bravely for his country as a mission critical soldier with Arabic language skills, was fired because he publicly acknowledged he is gay. This injustice must end now! We have to fight to end institutionalized discrimination and homophobia, and education is part of that fight.
It is time for America to wake up, to learn, and to urge Congress to end decades of discrimination right now!
Here’s how YOU can help. A committee of Join the Impact volunteers developed a set of tools for you to use to teach your friends, families, and neighbors about ENDA, EFCA, and the repeal of DADT. These tools will help you explain workforce discrimination, its impact on our culture, our military, and our families. Knowledge is power, and together we will focus our power on our Representatives during the August recess.
To learn more and to sign-up to host a Fairness Works American Dream-In, simply go to http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/ to sign up. Your help is vital to the success of this program. Please volunteer, so together we can make an impact!Fairness does work. Unfortunately millions are not protected from unfair job... more
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Why sexuality and gender issues are everyone's issues.
Richard Burns, Chief Operating Officer of the Arcus Foundation, Naomi Clark of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Richard Kim, Associate Editor at The Nation, and independent journalist Nancy Goldstein on the role of LGBT politics within the progressive movement.Why sexuality and gender issues are everyone's issues.
Richard Burns, Chief... more
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What can the progressive movement learn from the LGBT community? On the 40th anniversary of Stonewall there has been a good deal of reflection and soul searching on the role of the struggle for gay rights within the larger civil rights movement. Yesterday when Barack Obama met with gay couples in the White House he said, “It’s not for me to tell you to be patient any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African-Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-century ago. We’ve been in office six months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration.” That could be applied to a number of issues, not only those affecting the LGBT community.
Richard Burns, Chief Operating Officer of the Arcus Foundation, Naomi Clark of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Richard Kim, Associate Editor at The Nation, and independent journalist Nancy Goldstein on the role of LGBT politics within the progressive movement.What can the progressive movement learn from the LGBT community? On the 40th... more
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Then-Senator Barack Obama pledged during the 2008 presidential campaign that he would work with military leaders and Congress to repeal the law that bans openly gay men and lesbians from serving in the military. Yet the law commonly known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," or DADT, remains in effect despite his campaign promise and subsequent pledges to fulfill it.Then-Senator Barack Obama pledged during the 2008 presidential campaign that he would... more
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