tagged w/ Don't Ask Don't Tell
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~y2010m2d12-Take-action-now--Defend-Dont-Ask-Dont-Tell
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As the Obama administration proposes repealing the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a new New York Times/CBS News poll finds that a majority of the public support allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military.
There’s less support, however, for allowing homosexuals to serve openly.
Confused?
The results highlight the importance of wording on the issue. In a test, half of the poll’s respondents were asked their opinion on permitting “gay men and lesbians” to serve, and the other half were asked about permitting “homosexuals” to serve.
The wording of the question proved to make a difference. Seven in 10 respondents said they favor allowing “gay men and lesbians” to serve in the military, including nearly 6 in 10 who said they should be allowed to serve openly. But support was somewhat lower among those who were asked about allowing “homosexuals” to serve, with 59 percent in favor, including 44 percent who support allowing them to serve openly.
Democrats in the poll seemed particularly swayed by the wording. Seventy-nine percent of Democrats said they support permitting gay men and lesbians to serve openly. Fewer Democrats however, just 43 percent, said they were in favor of allowing homosexuals to serve openly. Republicans and independents varied less between the two terms.
As the debate of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” moves forward, these findings illustrate the influence that simple language can have.
The national telephone poll was conducted with 1,084 adults Feb. 5-10 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points for each half sample.As the Obama administration proposes repealing the policy known as “Don’t... more
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Last night, Oliver North, the retired U.S. Marine Corps officer-turned-Fox News contributor, appeared on Hannity's America to condemn the administration's decision to overturn "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." North characterized Obama's support for the repeal as a "stunning assault on the all-volunteer military, the very best in the world" and suggested that allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve openly was the tantamount to letting pedophiles into the military:
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/05/ollie-north-dadt/Last night, Oliver North, the retired U.S. Marine Corps officer-turned-Fox News... more
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WASHINGTON — The nation’s top two Defense officials called on Tuesday for an end to the 16-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, a major step toward allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the United States military for the first time in its history.
“No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens,” Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said it was his personal belief that “allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do.”
But both Admiral Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the committee they needed more time to review how to carry out the change in policy, which requires an act of Congress, and predicted some disruption to the armed forces.
Admiral Mullen is the first sitting chairman of the Joint Chiefs to support a repeal of the policy. In 1993, Gen. Colin L. Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs at the time, opposed allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly but supported “don’t ask, don’t tell” as the compromise passed by Congress. Under the policy, gay men and lesbians may serve as long as they keep their sexual orientation secret.
To lead a review of the policy, Mr. Gates appointed a civilian and a military officer: Jeh C. Johnson, the Pentagon’s top legal counsel, and Gen. Carter F. Ham, the commander of the United States Army in Europe. Pentagon officials said the review could take up to a year.
In the interim, Mr. Gates announced that the military was moving toward enforcing the existing policy “in a fairer manner” — a reference to the possibility that the Pentagon would no longer take action to discharge service members whose sexual orientation is revealed by third parties or jilted partners, one of the most onerous aspects of the law. Mr. Gates said he had asked the Pentagon to make a recommendation on the matter within 45 days, but “we believe that we have a degree of latitude within the existing law to change our internal procedures in a manner that is more appropriate and fair to our men and women in uniform.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/politics/03military.html?ref=usWASHINGTON — The nation’s top two Defense officials called on Tuesday for... more
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The military's top uniformed officer on Tuesday made an impassioned plea for allowing gays to serve openly in uniform, telling a Senate panel it was a matter of integrity and that it is wrong to force people to "lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens."
The comments by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, set the stage for the Defense Department's yearlong study into how the ban can be repealed without causing a major upheaval in the military.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, appearing with Mullen before the Armed Services Committee, announced plans to loosen enforcement rules involving the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that has been in effect since 1993.
President Barack Obama has called for a repeal of the policy, although he did little in his first year in office to advance that goal. If he succeeds, it would mark the biggest shake up to military personnel policies since President Harry S. Truman's 1948 executive order integrating the services.
"No matter how I look at the issue," Mullen said, "I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens." Noting that he was speaking for himself and not for the other service chiefs, Mullen added: "For me, it comes down to integrity - theirs as individuals and ours as an institution."
Congress enacted the law that enshrined the "don't ask" policy, which was intended to soften the previous blanket prohibition on gays in the military. "Don't ask" says gays may serve so long as they kept their sexuality private. Gay rights organizations have called that an insult and have said it is a form of discrimination.
Repeal of the ban would require a new law passed by Congress. Gates and Mullen said their efforts are intended to make sure the Pentagon is ready when that time comes.
The hastily called session gave Obama high-level cover on a divisive social issue complicated by the strains on an all-volunteer military force of fighting two wars.
Gates, who says he is a Republican, is the only member of former President George W. Bush's Cabinet whom Obama asked to stay on. He has gained a reputation for candor and caution. Mullen's words were a forceful endorsement from a careful man, but his very appearance, starched uniform and four stars on view, spoke as loudly.
Gates drew unusually pointed and partisan criticism from Republicans on the panel for saying that the review will examine how, not whether, to repeal the ban.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MILITARY_GAYS?SITE=MALOW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULTThe military's top uniformed officer on Tuesday made an impassioned plea for... more
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The New York Times reported that the Pentagon is “stepping up internal discussions on how gay men and lesbians might be able to serve openly in the armed services” in anticipation that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) will be repealed. A small group — put together by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen to prepare for congressional hearings — recently met on the issue:
A one-page memorandum drafted by staff members as a discussion point for the meeting said that the chiefs could adopt the view that “now is not the time” because of the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that the military would be better off delaying the start of the repeal process until 2011.
The same memorandum, according to a military official who has seen it, also said that “every indicator of opinion over the past 16 years shows movement toward nondiscrimination based on orientation” and that “in time the law will change.”
Indeed, recent polling confirms this indicator. ThinkProgress obtained results from a November poll on DADT conducted by Democracy Corps that shows likely voters support ending the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the military by a 55 to 35 percent margin.The New York Times reported that the Pentagon is “stepping up internal... more
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From CNN.......
There's a constant fear that hangs over some service members deployed to a war zone -- and it's not necessarily the threat from insurgents or roadside bombs.
One Marine serving in Afghanistan said suppressing the truth about his sexual orientation is gut-wrenching.
"I do worry a lot about being outed and kicked out," he said in an e-mail to CNN. "So far the military has been my livelihood and my source of work/income for the past six years. I don't want that all taken away from me and me being discharged anything but honorably."
The Marine requested anonymity because of the military's 1993 congressionally mandated "don't ask, don't tell" law prohibiting gay, lesbian and bisexual service members from coming out.
Being homosexual in the military was grounds for discharge before "don't ask, don't tell." The argument against gays in the military was that they would cause a breakdown of unit cohesion and morale.
Others argue that those concerns are unfounded, pointing to other U.S. allies such as Great Britain and Israel which have openly gay and lesbian members serving in the military.From CNN.......
There's a constant fear that hangs over some service members... more
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In a press briefing, Press Secretary Gibbs said the White House is working with the Pentagon to start changing don't ask don't tell. However the Pentagon said no such changes are underway.
Featuring on Current LGBT
http://current.com/topics/76953342_lgbt/In a press briefing, Press Secretary Gibbs said the White House is working with the... more
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“Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Jess, Bend, Oregon, 2009” is a solemn, emotionally moving photograph by the award-winning Los Angeles photographer Jeff Sheng. “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” is his new photography project, consisting of a series of photographs of closeted men and women in the United States military. The portraits represent Sheng's deep interest in the intersections between public and private space, and our government's ever-intrusive policing of our most private spaces.
Please visit my website to view this wonderful, very touching photograph in high-resolution:
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/photo-of-the-day-dont-ask-dont-tell/“Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Jess, Bend, Oregon, 2009” is a solemn,... more
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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... 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... 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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dengx2
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2 years ago
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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”... 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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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... more
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