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Hephaestion
Deeply Shallow
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
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Location: Where the Wild Things Are...
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 Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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Defense Dept: 'Several Year Process' to Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
| Quote: | Say what?
A new AP article on the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal suggests it won't be complete until at least 2012:
| Quote: | | The Defense Department starts the clock next week on what is expected to be a several-year process in lifting its ban on gays from serving openly in the military.A special investigation into how the ban can be repealed without hurting the morale or readiness of the troops was expected to be announced Tuesday by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While the review is likely to take the better part of this year to complete, and even more time to implement, its initiation will advance President Barack Obama's goal of repealing the ban and bring a divisive issue for the military back to the fore. |
And these are the topics that will be up for discussion over those two years:
| Quote: | | The review to be announced next week was expected to delve into practical issues that surround changing the law: Can a soldier be forced to room with someone who is openly gay if they are the same sex? Would the military recognize civil unions and how much would it cost to extend benefits to a service member's partner? Would quotas be imposed to ensure openly gay service members aren't passed over for promotions? |
So more discussion of military showers and barracks, and segregation, and sexual predation, completely ignoring the fact that there are thousands of gay and lesbian military servicemembers already serving in the military, and multiple studies already completed on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.
Obama is scheduled to speak with Gates and Mullen this week, according to the paper.
If the plan is truly to draw this out over a number of years, then Obama should sign (and we should demand he sign) an executive order immediately putting a moratorium on gay expulsions while this debate is undertaken. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:40 am Post subject: |
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House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio): Now is Not the Time to Debate 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
| Quote: | On today's Meet the Press, David Gregory asks Rep. John Boehner whether he thinks "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" will be a Republican campaign issue. Boehner replies that now is not the time to deal with it. Says Boehner:
| Quote: | | I don't think it will be a campaign issue. But in the middle of two wars, and, and in the middle of this giant security threat, why would we want to get into this debate? While, at a time when Americans are asking, 'Where are the jobs?' why do we want to get in this debate? While we're fighting over health care and trying to find some way to come to some common ground, why do we want to get into a divisive debate that will do nothing more than distract the, the real debate that should occur here about helping get our economy going again and getting the American people back to work. |
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Scott Brown: I'll Talk to Military Before Forming 'DADT' Opinion
| Quote: | On This Week, Barbara Walters asked newly-elected Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) what his views are on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. Said Brown:
| Quote: | | I think it’s important, because as you know we’re fighting two wars right now. And the most — the first priority is to — is to — is to finish the job, and win those wars. I’d like to hear from the generals in the field — in the field — the people that actually work with these soldiers to make sure that, you know, the social change is not going to disrupt our ability to finish the job and complete the wars. |
When pressed, Brown wouldn't say whether he's for or against it but repeated his plans to talk to the military. |
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pogovio
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Joined: 16 May 2006
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| Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:31 am Post subject: |
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Here's an item from last week that I missed when it came out.
Pentagon to unveil new policy for gays in the military
http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/pentagon-to-unveil-new-policy-for-gays-...
| Quote: | According to The Hill newspaper, the Defense Department plans to make public next week a new plan to implement the 1993 law banning gays from serving openly in the U.S. military.
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates has also said for months that Pentagon lawyers are looking to see if there’s a way to implement ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in a “more humane” way. The new plan could be a change along these lines that would work in the interim until Congress repeals the law. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Planning Effort to Take a Year; Joint Chiefs to Announce End to Discharges of Soldiers Who are Outed
| Quote: | Well, here's a preview from the Washington Post of what we can expect today at the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' hearings:
| Quote: | | President Obama's top defense officials will tell the Senate on Tuesday that the military will no longer aggressively pursue disciplinary action against gay service members whose orientation is revealed against their will by third parties, sources say. ...But Gates and Mullen are also expected to tell senators that it could take years to integrate gay men and lesbians fully into the military, defense officials said. Two appointees will be named to oversee a group that will draw up plans for integrating the armed forces, according to sources familiar with the Pentagon's deliberations on the subject. The planning effort is expected to take up to a year. |
So, basically it could be January 2011 before even the "planning effort" is finished. |
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TS.
Delicious schadenfreude
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 14585
Location: Toronto, ON
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| Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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Adm. Mullin testifies before the Senate, and says that allowing open service is "the right thing to do."
| Quote: | The U.S. military's top uniformed officer is declaring that gays should be allowed to serve openly in uniform, arguing that it is “the right thing to do.”
It was the strongest statement yet from the Pentagon on this volatile issue. Adm. Mike Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday he is deeply troubled by a policy that forces people to “lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.”
Adm. Mullen said he knows many will disagree about abandoning the “don't ask, don't tell” policy and said there are practical obstacles to lifting the 1993 ban that requires service members to keep their sexual orientation secret. But he said he thinks the military can handle it. Adm. Mullen is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and chief military adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama.
Mr. Obama has called on Congress to repeal the measure, but Democrats say they want more guidance on how to allow openly gay service members to serve without causing a major upheaval. |
Globe and Mail
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 3:18 am Post subject: |
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DADT testimony, in a nutshell:
Joint Chiefs Chair Mike Mullen -- DADT should be repealed
Defense Secretary Robert Gates -- DADT should be studied. Again.
John McCain, 2005: -- We should listen to military leaders to decide what actions to take.
John McCain, 2010: -- Aacck! Aaackkk! Phhhbbbt! Aaack! Ppphhhbbbt! Unit cohesion! Aaackkk! Phhhbbbt! Dropping the soap! Ppphhhbbbt! Aaackkk! Fairies in the foxholes! Aacck! Aaackkk!
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pogovio
Fulltime enMasse Member
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Tehanu
More or less, more or less
Joined: 12 Apr 2006
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Location: Seceded from the Ford Nation
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| Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Oliver North?!? The man dares to hold his head up in public? |
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anne cameron
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 12 Apr 2006
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Location: tahsis, british columbia
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| Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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Oliver North should be in jail.
That is my entry in the "understatement of the year" award competition. |
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bshmr
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 22 Aug 2006
Posts: 4004
Location: Central USA, Earth
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| Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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Note the time line, etc.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/nation/story/84163.html
Fort Worth told it must disclose names of witnesses to gay bar raid
By Deanna Boyd | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
| Quote: | FORT WORTH — Fort Worth's legal department cannot withhold the names of people who witnessed the June 28 inspection of the Rainbow Lounge despite its arguments that disclosure would violate the witnesses' privacy, the Texas attorney general's office has ruled.
Follow to http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1958427-p2.html , Fort Worth is told to release names of witnesses in Rainbow Lounge incident; Posted Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010; By DEANNA BOYD which has a side-bar 'loaded' with background on the incident and consequences.
... |
Follow to http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1958427-p2.html which has more, including another side-bar loaded with background. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:24 am Post subject: |
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"Gays" in the army, or "homosexuals"? The choice of terms makes a difference, it seems...
| Quote: | A fascinating CBS poll reveals that support for the repeal of DADT varies greatly depending on whether "homosexual" or "gay" is used in the wording of the question.
| Quote: | | In the poll, 59 percent say they now support allowing "homosexuals" to serve in the U.S. military, including 34 percent who say they strongly favor that. Ten percent say they somewhat oppose it and 19 percent say they strongly oppose it. But the numbers differ when the question is changed to whether Americans support "gay men and lesbians" serving in the military. When the question is asked that way, 70 percent of Americans say they support gay men and lesbians serving in the military, including 19 percent who say they somewhat favor it. Seven percent somewhat oppose it, and 12 percent strongly oppose it. |
John Aravois at AmericaBlog reacts:
| Quote: | | Bottom line: Homosexual is a nasty, clinical-sounding word with nasty connotations for far too many Americans. It's what I've argued for years, and have been routinely beaten up by some in the gay community who claim I'm nuts - namely, that no one should use this offensive word and we should correct anyone who does. It now appears I'm not so nuts after all. |
As longtime readers know, I tend to use "homosexual" rather frequently. I have no issue with it. It's what most of us here are. I understand that some resent its almost universal usage by our enemies, who only use "gay" in scare quotes. But when the wingnuts say "homosexual," I'm not remotely insulted, even though that's their intent. Still, this CBS poll result is very interesting. |
See also: "Stop calling me a 'homosexual' "
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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A coalition of bloggers including Joe Sudbay and John Aravosis (AMERICAblog); Pam Spaulding (Pam's House Blend); Michelangelo Signorile (Sirius OutQ & The Gist); Markos Moulitsas (DailyKos); Andy Towle (TowleRoad); Joe Jervis (Joe My God); Bil Browning (Bilerico); Taylor Marsh (TaylorMarsh.com) and Dan Savage (Slog) are urging their readers to contact the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and demand that these self-appointed "leaders" at HRC use their much-ballyhoo-ed "access" in DC to pressure Obama to take definite action on DADT repeal this year.
Joe writes:
| Quote: | | UPDATE: Today's blog swarm has been picked up by FireDogLake, Mediaite, the Advocate, and numerous gay and gay-friendly blogs. Thus far, HRC's official blog has remained silent, although its Palm Springs affiliate basically said it is a waste to time to contact HRC on this issue. I happen to think that's true, but not entirely for the reasons given. |
HRC has responded:
| Quote: | | Said HRC's spokesman today: "There is a clear path to repeal, and that’s the one we’re on." Which is a pretty frightening statement when you consider all the reports that have been coming out of Congress. |
Also, at Towleroad:
| Quote: | Admiral Mike Mullen held a 25-minute question and answer session with troops in Amman, Jordan today. At the end of the session none of them had asked him about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so he brought the subject up on his own, McClatchy reports:
| Quote: | | As it turned out, none of the two dozen or so men or women who met with Mullen at Marine House in the Jordanian capital Tuesday had any questions on the 17-year-old policy that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military — or Mullen's public advocacy of its repeal. |
McClatchy continues:
| Quote: | | At Tuesday's session, which included not only Marines, but members of the Army and the Air Force, both male and female service members explained why they were nonplussed by the issue: They'd already served with gays and lesbians, they accepted that some kind of change was imminent, and, they said, the nation was too engulfed in two wars for a prolonged debate about it. That there's been so little reaction raises questions about how much study the issue needs and whether the Pentagon study is meant to pacify its concerns — or Congress'. |
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more details at both Joe's and Andy's links above...
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:36 am Post subject: |
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Nathaniel Frank of the Palm Center: DADT Repeal In Grave Peril
| Quote: | The Palm Center's Nathaniel Frank today says that the repeal of DADT is in "grave peril" and that LGBT rights groups must step up the pressure on the president.
| Quote: | Bloggers this week called for the President to take the lead, but also focused their attention on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the most powerful gay rights group in the world, which has been accused of championing repeal publicly, while privately assuring the White House that it can continue to go slow. Some feel that HRC would rather fundraise for several years on the illusion of momentum than actually help to achieve repeal. If HRC wants to disabuse the community of that suspicion, it will need to ensure that its prized access to Washington power is used to have a real impact, rather than to enjoy that access for its own sake. One reasonable option would be to publicly tell the President that it will not endorse him for re-election if he does not secure repeal in his first term, a promise that Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he believed the President would keep.
The problem is that professed proponents of repeal keep muttering that we will get repeal this year, without saying how. "There is a clear path to repeal," said an HRC spokesman this week, "and that's the one we're on." Many of us would like to know what that path is if it does not include demanding the President put it in the base bill. Because legislative repeal will only become harder after the 2010 midterm elections. If President Obama is serious about lifting the ban in his first term, he should put repeal into the 2011 Defense Authorization bill. If the military brass can call for an end to the ban, and if Republicans Dick Cheney and Colin Powell can join them in supporting this step, surely Democrats and gay groups should be on the frontlines of pressing for real action. |
RELATED: The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has joined yesterday's blog swarm. |
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"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:20 am Post subject: |
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Joe Lieberman to Be Lead Sponsor on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal
| Quote: | Senator Joe Lieberman tells Jamie Kirchik at the New York Daily News that he'll be the chief sponsor of legislation to repeal the military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy:
| Quote: | | "My own experience as a member of the Armed Services Committee, visiting our troops on bases here in this country and abroad, particularly in war zones, the most remarkable quality you'll find is unit cohesion," he told me. "What matters is not the gender of the other person in your unit or the color or the religion or in this case the sexual orientation. It's whether that person is a good soldier you can depend on. And that's why I think it's going to work...I see this as an extension, the next step of the civil rights movement." |
Kirchick adds:
| Quote: | | The reasons why Lieberman, who was asked by the White House and gay rights groups to sponsor the legislation, would choose this battle are not hard to divine. Indeed, they strike at the heart of the political tradition of which he is the lonely standard-bearer: Social progressivism married with foreign policy hawkishness... |
The road to success on DADT is still considered to be as part of a Defense Dept. authorization bill and not as a stand-alone bill.
SLDN lauded the announcement and made a suggestion:
| Quote: | | To strengthen the prospects for the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and to reduce political risk, the President can still order the Pentagon to include "Set End-date / Delayed Implementation" repeal language in one of the legislative policy transmittals that will soon be sent to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees by the Department of Defense. These policy proposal packages serve as indications of White House and Pentagon support for policy changes to be included in the next National Defense Authorization Act. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:41 am Post subject: |
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Top Iraq GI Supports DADT Repeal, White House Won't Commit To Timetable
| Quote: | Recently we've seen been nonstop support for the repeal of DADT from the upper echelons of the armed services.
| Quote: | | The top commanding general in Iraq says he thinks everyone - gay and straight - should be allowed to serve in the military "as long as we are still able to fight our wars." The comment by Gen. Raymond Odierno (Oh-dee-AIR-no) is among the first to come from a senior military leader currently leading troops in battle since the Pentagon announced earlier this month that it will study the issue. Odierno helped lead a troop buildup in Iraq that reduced violence and has paved the way for a planned reduction of U.S. forces. |
Yet today White House spokeswaffle Robert Gibbs refused to commit to a 2010 repeal attempt. |
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pogovio
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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Eye Opener: How foreign militaries lifted gay bans
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/02/eye_opener_how...
| Quote: | As the U.S. military begins a major review of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning gay people from openly serving in the military, leaders may want to consult an updated study set for release today that reviews how 25 nations lifted similar bans with relative success.
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Researchers also found that the 25 nations implemented repeals of a gay ban within four months.
Some other interesting conclusions:
• The study also found that none of the 25 countries established separate living facilities for gay troops or established rules that treat them differently than heterosexuals.
• Lifting gay bans did not result in a mass “coming out.” Gay and lesbian troops serve at all levels of the armed forces of Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Israel in combat and non-combat roles as enlisted members and commanders.
• There were no instances of increased harassment of or by gay people as a result of lifting bans in any of the countries studied. |
Read the 150 page report here:
http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/GaysinFor...
The quick implementation of the policy change in complete agreement with the recommendations of the 1993 Rand study.
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pogovio
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| Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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Air Force, Army leaders seek more data on 'don't ask, don't tell'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2...
| Quote: | Top leaders of the Air Force and Army weighed in Tuesday about the possible repeal of the armed forces' ban on gays in the military, saying they have concerns about the change and want to hear more from the Pentagon on the matter.
"We just don't know the impacts on readiness and military effectiveness," Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Casey said he worried about "the impact of a repeal of the law on a force that is fully engaged in two wars and has been at war for 8 1/2 years."
He also said he opposes a moratorium on dismissing service members who violate the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and Army Secretary John McHugh suggested that a moratorium might complicate cases currently under review.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz told the House Armed Services Committee, meanwhile, that he is concerned with the lack of solid survey data on a potential repeal. "This is not the time to perturb the force . . . without careful deliberation," he said in response to a question on the matter. |
So now we see the strategy of the old guard military towards the DADT repeal that they oppose. They will simply lie, in order to garner the public support of the 25% remaining homophobes, and to give Republicans the ammunition they want for opposing Democrats.
We DO KNOW the impact of repeal - it has been demonstrated consistently by the poloicy change in the militaries of 25 nations. There is absolutely no "lack of data". And a legislated moratorium does not complicate ongoing cases, it simplifies them to the ultimate degree by making them cease to exist.
We are seeing precisely the problems arising the\at the 1993 study Rand study anticipated as a result of gradualism. To change the policy, it should be done quickly so that the anti-gay faction in the military doesn't have time to marshall its political allies. It must be implemented with clarity and firmness from the top down. Truman did not solicit the opinions of the military brass when he integrated the military, and Obama does not need to do it now. Gates and Mullen have stated that it's time to make the change, and no lower level opinions are necessary or desirable.
I'm afraid the problem is that Obama does not want the issue concluded b efore the November elections, and has told Gates and Mullen to drag their feet till then. There is a distinct chance that Republicans will take control of the House in November, and if that happens, we can say goodbye to repeal of DADT. Republicans will joyously and loudly celebrate "saving the military from a leftist social experiment".
And these two are the ones who are "mild" in their opposition to repeal. The head of the Marines is the one who will intensify the attack.
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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'Media Matters' Exposes Myths, Pens Open Letter to Media About Lies and Distortions on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
| Quote: | Some great work from Media Matters today in a posting detailing the Myths and Falsehoods on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. Media Matters (with a coalition of groups and individuals) also penned a letter to the media advising them to be wary of distortions regarding the military gay ban and its repeal. Wrote MM:
| Quote: | Don't Ask, Don't Tell proponents too often paint a distorted picture of what a repeal would mean. Today, Media Matters for America released a comprehensive review detailing how opinion pages and cable news talk shows have been flooded with falsehoods and anti-gay rhetoric to support the dubious argument that Don't Ask, Don't Tell is working.
Myths that repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell would adversely affect unit cohesion, retention, or the HIV rate among servicemembers are not based in reality. Similarly, the anti-gay rhetoric permeating many of these arguments only serves to cheapen the national discussion on this important issue.
Because news outlets continue to repeat these outrageous myths, a coalition of organizations is banding together to combat misinformation about the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law. As Congress moves forward on this legislation, we will be vigilant in ensuring that news reports are accurate and fair. The public deserves an honest debate -- not one marred by blatant falsehoods and anti-gay attacks. |
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JMG:
| Quote: | | ... Among the co-signers are the HRC, the Courage Campaign, GLAAD, and the NGLTF. Visit the Myths and Falsehoods page for a point-by-point refutation of the lies and misinformation being spread about the gays in the military and the repeal attempt. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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Bill Repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t tell’ Launched
| Quote: | | Legislation was launched Wednesday to repeal the 17-year-old policy that prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. military. A group of six senators — including five Democrats and headed by Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent who caucuses with Democrats — introduced a three-part bill that would immediately repeal the policy, prohibit discrimination against armed service members based on their sexual orientation, and establish Reserve Officer Training Corps units at colleges and universities where they had been barred. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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Democrats Vow Quick End to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' as Senate Bill Is Introduced
| Quote: | | Leading Senate Democrats pledged Wednesday to move quickly to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces rather than wait, as the Pentagon has requested, for the military to complete a lengthy review. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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Lesbian Fired Under DADT When Local Cops Turn Her In To Air Force
| Quote: | A lesbian sergeant in the Air Force has been fired under DADT after local police in South Dakota reported her to base commanders. Police were at Rene Newsome's home seeking her wife on a warrant when they saw the couple's marriage certificate from Iowa.
| Quote: | | Newsome and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the western South Dakota police department, claiming the officers violated her privacy when they informed the military about her sexual orientation. The case also highlights concerns over the ability of third parties to “out” service members, especially as the Pentagon has started reviewing the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” law. “I played by ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” Newsome told The Associated Press by telephone. “I just don’t agree with what the Rapid City police department did. … They violated a lot of internal policies on their end, and I feel like my privacy was violated.” The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy has come under renewed debate after Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for a sweeping internal study on the law earlier this year. As the review is under way, officials were also expected to suggest ways to relax enforcement that may include minimizing cases of third-party outings. In particular, Gates has suggested that the military might not have to expel someone whose sexual orientation was revealed by a third party out of vindictiveness or suspect motives. |
Newsome says the cops retaliated against her because she wouldn't assist in the search for her wife. The police say their officers acted properly. Newsome, a nine year veteran, had planned to make the Air Force her lifelong career. |
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Hephaestion
Deeply Shallow
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Hephaestion
Deeply Shallow
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| Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 4:21 am Post subject: |
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Barney Frank rushes to "clarify" his remarks:
| Quote: | Rep. Barney Frank claims he was talking about the Pentagon, not the White House, when he discussed opposition to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal with The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld. Wrote The Advocate:
| Quote: | | Like many pro-repeal advocates, Frank has consistently pinpointed the National Defense Authorization Act as 'the only vehicle' for overturning the ban legislatively. When I noted that the White House has failed to designate the defense authorization bill over a stand-alone bill as its preferred method for repealing the policy, Frank responded, 'That’s because they don’t want it done this year, not because they want it done separately.' |
The Hill reports:
| Quote: | | Rep. Barney Frank on Monday appeared to dispute a quote he gave saying that he believes the White House does not want a policy banning openly gay people in the military repealed this year...Frank told The Hill that he was talking about the Pentagon's stance, not the White House's position on the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy. 'I said that about the Pentagon, the quote may have gotten garbled,' he said in a phone interview...Frank said that the White House has been 'ambiguous' about its desire to see the policy repealed this year but did not say they are openly against it like he believes the Pentagon is. 'I wish the White House was more adamant,' he said. 'I'm still waiting for the White House to speak out. When people say that they want to implement a change, their answer should be that they want to pass the bill.' |
And, well, "ambiguous" pretty much sucks as well.
In a new statement to Eleveld, Frank clarifies:
| Quote: | | In a recent interview, I misspoke and garbled my answer to a question posed by reporter Kerry Eleveld. I was trying to cover too many issues at once and, in fact, I did not mean to imply that the Administration has opposed moving forward with the repeal of 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.' However, the Administration has been ambiguous about it, and that ambiguity has allowed some to interpret Secretary Gates’ argument for a delay in implementation as a delay in adopting the legislation. I believe that the Administration should make clear that it supports legislative action this year, and that while implementation is being worked out, it will carry out the policy in the way it was originally intended, which would reduce the number of discharges, in my view, by over 90%. |
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Hephaestion
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TS.
Delicious schadenfreude
Joined: 11 Apr 2006
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Location: Toronto, ON
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| Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting New York Times story on a photographer who has produced a photo book on gay and lesbian active-duty members of the US military. The same author has also produced a photo book, also touring as a collection, about openly gay athletes.
He Asked. They Told.
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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Andy Towle files a report on a DADT protest today.
Apparently HRC had arranged one of their press release/photo op "things", only to have it hi-jacked by Lt. Dan Choi and Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo -- Choi spoke to the crowd and fired them up, then led them down to the street to the White House, where he and Pietrangelo chained themselves to the White House fence. Much hollering ensued, Choi and Pietrangelo were arrested (along with Robin McGehee, co-director of upstart rights group GetEQUAL). HRC comes off looking like namby-pamby schmucks.
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:06 am Post subject: |
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HRC tells their side; John Aravosis of AmericaBlog calls them liars
| Quote: | Concerned about the "Lt. Dan Choi Kanye'd the HRC" story being reported on some blogs (including this one), the HRC has posted the following elaboration of their earlier comment.
| Quote: | Singer Tom Goss kicked off the event followed by the first American wounded in the Iraq war, retired Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva. Also speaking were Ben Mishkin of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and Alex Nicholson of Servicemembers United. Finally, Kathy Griffin took to the stage, talking about her experiences this week in Washington, welcoming Lt. Dan Choi to the stage to make a few remarks and then calling for a moment of silence to honor our troops who serve in silence.
There’s been some confusion about Lt. Dan Choi’s role in the rally. As Joe Solmonese was walking to the stage, Lt. Choi asked Joe if he could have a speaking role. Joe explained that it wasn’t his sole decision to make on the spot given that there was already an established program that included Kathy Griffin, other organization and veterans. After Choi then spoke with Kathy Griffin, she agreed to bring him up on stage and speak to the crowd during her remarks. |
So basically, it appears that it was Kathy Griffin who made the call to override Joe Solmonese and bring Choi to the podium. Good for her. I have to wonder why a DADT protest in the nation's capital wouldn't have included the nation's most famous and well-spoken gay veteran in the first place. (Not to disparage Sgt. Eric Alva in the least, whom I think is fantastic.)
UPDATE: John Aravosis at AmericaBlog says the HRC statement is "utterly untrue."
| Quote: | | That is simply untrue. I was there, standing next to Dan, about 10 feet from Kathy Griffin and Solmonese. They were behind a rope line, to keep them from the rally attendees. They looked over at Dan when he asked them, for the second time, to come with him to the White House (mind you, they had no idea that he was planning to handcuff himself), and they just stared back at him. They were not helping engage the rally about how to build pressure - the rally was over, they were already off the stage, behind it actually, getting ready to leave behind a secure rope line to separate them from the crowd. I'm sorry, but this statement is flat out untrue. They were getting their photos taken. Unbelievable. |
UPDATE II: It looks like Choi and Capt. Jim Pietrangelo will be spending the night in jail. |
Update: They're not letting Choi go
| Quote: | ... At this writing, Choi and Pietrangelo are still in custody. And something fishy appears to be going on. Via AmericaBlog:
| Quote: | | We have more information. This is increasingly disturbing. It increasingly looks as though someone has decided to play hardball with Dan and James. The Park Police say that Dan is not being released on bail. Dan also has not made his phone call to the person designed to pay his bail - the person's phone number is written on Dan's arm, so there's no chance he doesn't have it. That means that Dan apparently is not being permitted a phone call, and thus not being permitted to have anyone pay his bail. Why not? We have just learned that Dan is in fact being charged with "failure to obey a lawful order," yet that charge usually means you get processed, you pay bail, and you leave. Then why are they not letting Dan Choi leave, but instead are holding him to be arraigned? Why are they apparently not permitting Dan his phone call? |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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AP:
| Quote: | | "Retired US general, a former NATO commander, says Dutch army failed to stop genocide in Bosnian war because it included gay soldiers." |
Yaaa, really.
Rachel Maddow has more on the idiocy, here.
Dutch defence ministry spokesman Roger van de Wetering calls retired General John Sheehan an asshat liar (or words to that effect) over here.
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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CBS News Notes Divide Between Activists, Gay Organizations
| Quote: | Some unusual insight (for the MSM) in CBS News' coverage of yesterday's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" activities:
| Quote: | | According to reports, Choi crashed the rally, hosted by the gay rights group the Human Rights Campaign and comedian Kathy Griffin, and asked attendees to join him in a march to the White House, turning the event into more of a protest. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese did not march to the White House, in an illustration of the split in the gay rights movement between establishment organizations like the HRC, which generally support the Obama administration, and activists like Choi, who are pushing more aggressively for action. |
One gay veteran, writing in the Huffington Post, says Choi "jumped the shark" yesterday:
| Quote: | | Let me be quite clear about one thing: what Dan Choi did yesterday was of questionable sincerity, most likely intricately plotted as to gain the most amount of press and attention, and undoubtedly will dominate the conversation going into the next Don't Ask, Don't Tell news cycle. It's big, over the top, political theater of the type that is destined to get tongues wagging about the issue once again and will definitely secure Lt. Choi's place as a major figure in gay activism. What it won't secure, however, is the title and rank that his entire public career thus far has been about retaining, which is why the behavior is simultaneously inspiring and baffling. There are some severely mixed signals here that need to be addressed. |
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No Yards
Glutton for Punishment
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Location: Toronto Ontario
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| Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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On the bright side he has no problems with "the Orientals". 
That's an interesting theory he has there, that rape is a result of "attraction" ... unless it's opposite sex attraction presumably.
Leaving out the obvious "attraction is the cause of rape" nuttery, one wonders why he has no problem with men and women serving together .. does he believe hetro and homo rape are caused by different motivations? Maybe he doesn't believe Hetro rape exists and that women actually want to be raped? Maybe he believes that hetro rape is the way nature and Gawd created us?
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No Yards
Glutton for Punishment
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| Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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Yes there are, but I'm not sure the "mixed signals" that need to be addressed are the ones that the writer thinks need to be addressed.
To my way of thinking "jumping the shark" is allowing people to have their careers destroyed for nothing illegal, but only for loving the wrong type of person, and then criticizing their protests as "over the top".
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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Dan Choi in court: "Not guilty, not ashamed, and not finished"
| Quote: | Reports from the D.C. arraignment of Lt. Dan Choi and Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo are coming in.
Pietrangelo has pleaded "not guilty" and is opting for a trial over a fine of $100. Choi has pleaded "not guilty, not ashamed, and not finished" and wants a trial over a fine.
They have been released from custody, to come back for a trial on April 26. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:19 am Post subject: |
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Dan Choi speaks out following his release:
| Quote: | Lt. Dan Choi spoke following his and Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo's court appearance in D.C. today. As I mentioned earlier, both Choi and Pietrangelo pleaded 'not guilty' and opted for a trial rather than to pay a fine. The trial will take place on April 26. Said Choi, in part:
| Quote: | | There was no freer moment than being in that prison. It was freeing for me, and I thought of all of the other people that were still trapped - that were still handcuffed and fettered in their hearts. And we might have been caged up physically, but the message was very clear to all of the people who think that equality can be purchased with a donation, or with a cocktail party, or with tokens, that are serving in a public role. We are worth more than tokens. We have absolute value. And when the person who is oppressed by his own country wants to find out how to get that dignity back - being chained up and being arrested - that's how you get your dignity conferred back upon you. And so I think that by actions, my call is to every leader - not just talking gay leaders - I'm talking any leader who believes in America, and the promises of America can be manifest. We're gonna do it again. And we're going to keep doing it until the promises are manifest. And we will not stop. This is a very clear message to President Obama and any other leader who supposes to talk for the American promise and the American people. We will not go away. |
[video clip of comments]
AmericaBlog reports that the Human Rights Campaign was "on lockdown" today for fear of sit-ins from protesters:
| Quote: | | Apparently HRC is on lockdown, out of fear that gays civil rights advocate, angry at the organization for providing cover for the President's and the Congress's in action on DADT and ENDA, might try to stage a sit-in. I hear that even staff had to use key cards to get into the building, as everything was locked up tight (normally the front door is open). Locking the building down like the gay CTU is certainly one option. Another is simply doing your job. NB "Inaction" is incorrect. The White House is quite literally not interested in doing DADT this year. And HRC is publicly misleading the community about it. That's why Barney Frank had to come out last Monday and ask the White House, publicly, to say that it wants DADT repealed this year. |
Wayne at World of Wonder has a nice selection of shots from this afternoon's small protest in support of Choi and Pietrangelo in New York's Times Square, including the shot inset here of Rainblow Flag creator Gilbert Baker with his latest banner. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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Dutch 'Pink Army' To Sue Gen. John Sheehan Over Genocide Allegations
| Quote: | Last week retired US Gen. John Sheehan ridiculously claimed that the Bosnian genocide of thousands of Muslim men and boys was the result of the homo-infested Dutch army. A group of openly gay Dutch soldiers has announced their plan to sue Sheehan for libel.
| Quote: | “Gay reproach is world news,” reads NRC Handelsblad’s weekend headline. “The fall of the Balkenende cabinet hardly attracted any international attention, but an American former general who claims the Dutch army is weakened by homosexual soldiers is world news – from Al Jazeera to the New York Times.” At the end of last week former US general John Sheehan caused outrage by blaming the presence of gay soldiers for the Dutch army’s failure to prevent the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
The fallout continues in Monday’s press, with de Volkskrant reporting that gay Dutch soldiers are planning to sue the retired general for libel. Communication strategist Peter Schouten has launched the Pink Army foundation on their behalf. Via the Pink Army website. He’s looking for Dutch soldiers to bring a class action lawsuit against General Sheehan in the Californian federal court. Pink Army is demanding that he should publish a full-page apology in the international press – and attend a course in “sensitivity training”. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:59 am Post subject: |
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Lt. Dan Choi Rips HRC in Newsweek Interview: 'I Feel So Betrayed'
| Quote: | Lt. Dan Choi gives a revealing interview to Newsweek about what happened to him over the course of the two days during which he was cuffed at the White House, spent the night in jail (he was denied a phone call), and arraigned. He also takes the Human Rights Campaign to task, throughout it:
| Quote: | — "Within the gay community so many leaders want acceptance from polite society. I think there's been a betrayal of what is down inside of us in order to achieve what looks popular, what look enviable. The movement seems to be centered around how to become an elite. There is a deep schism [in the gay-rights movement], everyone knows this. But this shouldn't be about which group has better branding. There is a tremor right now in every gay and transgender youth that these groups are not grasping. I would say to them—you do not represent us if all you are looking for is a ladder in to elite society. When I get messages from people who want to be a part of this I ask back: what are you willing to sacrifice? We are tired of being stereotyped as privileged, bourgeois elites. Is someone willing to give up their career, their relationships with powerful people, their Rolodex, or their parents' love to stand up for who they are? I'm giving up my military rank, my unit—which to me is a family—my veterans' benefits, my health care, so what are you willing to sacrifice?"
— "Ghandi (sic) did not need three-course dinners and a cocktail party to get his message out."
— "When I heard Kathy Griffin was going to be a spokeswoman for Don't Ask, Don't Tell, I wondered about that. I have great respect for her as an advocate. But if [the Human Rights Campaign] thinks that having a rally at Freedom Plaza with a comedienne is the right approach, I have to wonder. Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not a joking matter to me. To be at Freedom Plaza and not at the White House or Congress? Who are they trying to influence? I felt like they were just trying to speak to themselves. If that's the best the lobbying groups and HRC can do, then I don't know how these powerful groups are supposed to represent our community. Kathy Griffin and [HRC president] Jay (sic) Solmonese said they would march with me to the White House but didn’t. I feel so betrayed by them." |
As a member of the military, Choi also says he's taking his direction from the Commander in Chief:
| Quote: | | "We all know the political reality now. The only way for the repeal to go through is for the president to take leadership and put it in the Defense Authorization Bill. There's a sunset on this, and it's happening quickly. Obama told us at the HRC dinner last year, you need to put pressure on me. I was there at that dinner, in uniform. So this is my mission; the president said to pressure him and I heard that as a warning order." |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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Meanwhile, in really important news, Joe Solmonese has won a fashion award
| Quote: | Washington Life Magazine has named HRC executive director Joe Solomnese the "Elegant Activist" in its annual fashion awards. John Aravosis at AmericaBlog:
| Quote: | | And who says the emperor has no clothes. It would almost be funny if the Human Rights Campaign hadn't actually cooperated with the "award" by telling the magazine who Solmonese's favorite designers were (Ann Demeulemeester, Billy Reid, and Dolce and Gabbana). Wouldn't it be neat if HRC's president won an activism award for his activism? |
Pam Spaulding vents:
| Quote: | | I guess it's just a different game up in DC; or maybe not. Dan Choi wasn't the one of the best dressed gay men in DC the other day as he sat in jail along with former Army captain Jim Pietrangelo -- and roaches scurrying around their cell, so I take it that it's not a job requirement to be an activist or advocate with that je ne sais quoi unless you spend more time in ballrooms and boardrooms "for the cause," as it were. I'm pretty sure Dr. King didn't need designer togs when he picked up the Nobel Peace Prize, but I guess times were different then. You know, the whole dogs and hoses thing would do damage to Dolce and Gabbana wear. Maybe HRC donors want its leader to have fashion sense, and feed into the notion that we're all rich and ready to schmooze, as opposed to a less ostentatious model of what gay leadership is in 2010. |
It does strike one as being particularly tone-deaf to the criticisms that the HRC is populated by and only listens to the elite A-gays. |
No shit!
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:59 am Post subject: |
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his underlings seem to be working at cross-purposes on DADT. Unless Gates is just lying through his teeth...
| Quote: | We'll get later this week from Defense Secretary Robert Gates on how the DoD is going to make "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a "more humane" policy, a spokesman says:
| Quote: | | Defense Department Press Secretary Robert Morrell told reporters that Gates will lay out elements of the department's strategy to repeal the prohibition on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers later this week. 'I think he is prepared to offer a way ahead on that subject this week,' Morrell said during a regular press briefing. 'Hopefully you'll be seeing him later this week and can address the changes that he is going to be making to the department's policy to provide for a more humane enforcement and application of the law.' Gates has joined President Barack Obama and top military leaders in calling for the repeal of the policy. It's not clear what the timeline for removing the policy would look like, or whether Gates will comment on that this week. |
Some related, troubling news from DC Agenda:
| Quote: | | Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, said he met recently with officials working on the study and said he didn’t think the questions they raised pertained to where he thought the study should be heading. 'Now, I get the impression — based upon looking outside and talking to people — that a lot of the people are not convinced that this needs to be repealed and really think it’s their mission to even examine this,' he said during a panel discussion on a new Center for American Progress report on 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.' Korb said officials on the working group were focused on how repeal could negatively affect the U.S. military as opposed to implementing an end to the law — as Defense Secretary Robert Gates directed earlier this year. |
Added Korb:
| Quote: | | So, I don’t get the impresssion that you got a group of people who said, ‘OK, the chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] spoke, the secretary spoke and the president, so now we’re going to have a ‘can do’ attitude. I do not get that. |
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Feral
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| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:02 am Post subject: |
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| Hephaestion wrote: | Meanwhile, in really important news, Joe Solmonese has won a fashion award
| Quote: | Washington Life Magazine has named HRC executive director Joe Solomnese the "Elegant Activist" in its annual fashion awards. John Aravosis at AmericaBlog:
| Quote: | | And who says the emperor has no clothes. It would almost be funny if the Human Rights Campaign hadn't actually cooperated with the "award" by telling the magazine who Solmonese's favorite designers were (Ann Demeulemeester, Billy Reid, and Dolce and Gabbana). Wouldn't it be neat if HRC's president won an activism award for his activism? |
Pam Spaulding vents:
| Quote: | | I guess it's just a different game up in DC; or maybe not. Dan Choi wasn't the one of the best dressed gay men in DC the other day as he sat in jail along with former Army captain Jim Pietrangelo -- and roaches scurrying around their cell, so I take it that it's not a job requirement to be an activist or advocate with that je ne sais quoi unless you spend more time in ballrooms and boardrooms "for the cause," as it were. I'm pretty sure Dr. King didn't need designer togs when he picked up the Nobel Peace Prize, but I guess times were different then. You know, the whole dogs and hoses thing would do damage to Dolce and Gabbana wear. Maybe HRC donors want its leader to have fashion sense, and feed into the notion that we're all rich and ready to schmooze, as opposed to a less ostentatious model of what gay leadership is in 2010. |
It does strike one as being particularly tone-deaf to the criticisms that the HRC is populated by and only listens to the elite A-gays. |
No shit! |
Huh.
Dr. King was well known for his impeccable clothing. It was hand-tailored, but then in 1964 most clothes were hand-tailored. "Sunday best" was the rule for the civil rights movement. I strongly suspect that, were one to go to the trouble of adjusting the 1964 prices for inflation, the ensemble Dr. King wore to pick up his Peace Prize would compare favorably to the $1400 Dolce&Gabbana suit that Mr. Solmonese is so frequently photographed wearing.
It may be worth pointing out that Speaker Pelosi and President Obama also won the same award. The president's salary is a tad higher than Mr. Solmonese's, so it it's not all that surprising that his custom-made Hart Shaffner Marx suits cost a tad more than the Dolce&Gabbana.
While Lt. Choi's service uniform hardly made him "one of the best dressed gay men in DC ," Mr. Solmonese's clothes hardly make him that either. Lots of folks in the District favor Armani... that runs a good bit more. Of course, it looks a hell of a lot better too. |
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Raos
volatilis vir
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| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:01 am Post subject: |
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| Good lord, I would need to have a lot of money before I'd decide to drop that much on clothing. |
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Feral
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| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Then it is "a different game" in DC and its environs. I asked around the house, "How much is reasonable to spend on a suit if you wish to be taken seriously?" The answer I got was "About $2000."
Anyway... fussing about Mr. Solmonese's clothing (and if he shops at Nordstrom he's only spending about $1000) is more than a little like fussing over Ms Spaulding's weight. Neither a person's weight nor their taste in clothing has much bearing on their effectiveness in their chosen occupation. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Feral wrote: | | Anyway... fussing about Mr. Solmonese's clothing (and if he shops at Nordstrom he's only spending about $1000) is more than a little like fussing over Ms Spaulding's weight. Neither a person's weight nor their taste in clothing has much bearing on their effectiveness in their chosen occupation. |
And how effective would you say Solmonese has been so far?
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Feral
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| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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It is (or really ought to be) well known that I hold the Human Rights Campaign in complete contempt. I disapproved of their founding thirty years ago (as the Human Rights Campaign Fund) and, as near as I can tell, I've disapproved of every single mission expansion they've made since. I sincerely, absolutely, disagree fundamentally that the election of "fairness-minded" politicians is of significant utility to the Gay people.
No one should have given HRC any money thirty years ago, no one should have given them any money in the intervening decades, and certainly no one should give them any money today. I think they're useless. I think they're useless by design. I think that the methods they have chosen to achieve their aims cannot achieve those aims. I further think that their goals, were they achievable by any means, are not especially worthy ones and ought not be achieved at all if they cannot be achieved simply; they're just not worth much effort.
If a two-year-old tries to train a puppy to shit out-of-doors by delivering a speech to the Canadian Parliament, how shall we judge this wee bairn's effectiveness? If the (no doubt) charming and cute oratory produces an Act of Parliament? Some charitable soul might then take the resulting document and try paper-training the pup. I hear that works. Though... there are better sources of paper.
Joe Solmonese is the executive officer of HRC. Never mind that he's not one of the 41 people on the Board of Directors who determine HRC’s mission and purposes. He doesn't decide what HRC is going to do, he doesn't decide how they're going to do it, and he deserves neither credit nor blame for the results. As far as I know, whatever executing HRC needs is well and truly accomplished. Also as far as I know, not one Gay person is better off because Mr. Solmonese left his post as CEO of EMILY’s List.
People have set Mr. Solmonese up as some sort of "gay leader." People have claimed for HRC some sort of quasi-governmental function. This is madness. They raise money for politicians in an effort to get them elected. That's not leadership... that doesn't even smell like leadership. But folks carry on as if Mr. Solmonese were some sort of President of the Gay people and then bicker about how much he really, really stinks at that job. Well... duh. |
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pogovio
Fulltime enMasse Member
Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 900
Location: New York state
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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Pentagon relaxes 'don't ask, don't tell'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/25/AR2...
| Quote: | Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the military will no longer open investigations into the sexual orientation of service members based on anonymous complaints, will restrict testimony from third parties and will require high-ranking officers to review all cases.
The changes will take effect immediately. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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Gee, that's kind of like an "executive order", eh? Y'know, the one thing Obama WON'T do, even though he has the power to...?
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"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:56 am Post subject: |
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| Hephaestion wrote: | | ... Unless Gates is just lying through his teeth... |
Robert Gates said earlier that he was in favour of the repeal of DADT, but that he "does not support repealing DADT until the 'full review' is completed."
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"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:10 am Post subject: |
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General's Remarks Against Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' May Cost Him His Career
| Quote: | Hawaii-based Lt. General Benjamin Mixon wrote a letter to the Stars and Stripes newspaper earlier this month urging troops to call on their elected officials and chain of command and speak out against repealing the policy. Said Mixon in the letter:
| Quote: | | It is often stated that most service members are in favor of repealing the policy. I do not believe that is accurate. I suspect many service members, their families, veterans and citizens are wondering what to do to stop this ill-advised repeal of a policy that has achieved a balance between a citizen’s desire to serve and acceptable conduct...Now is the time to write your elected officials and chain of command and express your views. If those of us who are in favor of retaining the current policy do not speak up, there is no chance to retain the current policy. |
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chair Mike Mullen publicly spoke out against Mixon's actions:
| Quote: | | Defense Secretary Robert Gates said it was 'inappropriate' for Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, the commander of U.S. Army, Pacific, to have publicly aired his feelings about the president’s desire to overturn the current don’t ask don’t tell policy. And Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a rare, strongly worded admonishment. 'As a three-star leader in command, by virtue of that position alone, he has great influence,' Mullen said, adding that when the secretary announced the Pentagon’s review, the Army issued written guidelines about it. 'If there’s policy direction that someone in uniform disagrees with … the answer is not advocacy, it is in fact to vote with your feet.' |
Mixon's career may be over:
| Quote: | | Mullen said that the Army issued specific guidance about dealing with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" issue during the review period and that Mixon's case is now 'being addressed' in the Army chain of command. Mullen dodged a question about whether he is calling for Mixon to resign, saying, 'That's a decision that would certainly be up to him.' But one Army official said that this highly decorated Army general did nothing wrong and was simply expressing his own opinion. The official said that the February 2010 guidance on dealing with the DADT issue directed Army leaders to continue to implement and execute the law during the review period ... and said nothing about keeping your opinions to yourself. The official said that the Army is not likely to fire Mixon, but that the chairman's comments will force him to resign. He has been a three-star general since Feb. 1, 2008, so Congress will have to approve his retirement and determine whether he will retire as a two-star or three-star general. |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:22 am Post subject: |
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Marine Commandant Wants Separate Barracks for Gay Troops
| Quote: | Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway said that he wants separate barracks for gay troops: "I would not ask our Marines to live with someone that is homosexual if we can possibly avoid it."
You may recall that in February hearings Conway said, "I think the current policy works. My best military advice to this committee, to the secretary, to the president, would be to keep the law such as it is."
The AP wonders if partners of gay troops would receive benefits should "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" be lifted:
| Quote: | | Since the draft ended in 1973, spousal benefits have increasingly been used as an incentive to recruit and retain an effective force. Today, more than half of all troops sport a wedding ring. Benefits for married service members include college tuition for a spouse and the right of a spouse to be at a wounded service member's bedside. Spouses also have access to military health care and commissaries worldwide, and married service members receive better housing and even extra pay when they go to war. The ticket to qualifying for those benefits is a marriage certificate. Heterosexual couples have a choice whether to marry, but same-sex marriages are legal in only five states and Washington, D.C. Whether same-sex partnerships would be recognized by the military and what benefits might be afforded gay couples would become issues if the ban were lifted. |
The NYT notes that what is needed to get DADT repealed is help from Obama:
| Quote: | | The changes are heartening progress toward the day when the American military is the equal of those in Britain, Israel, Canada and other nations where gays serve openly. The repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” is favored by a majority of Americans. But with Congress in such turmoil, a considerable push by President Obama is needed to end a shameful era in which gay men and lesbians have been denied standing as patriots defending the nation. |
It's been 11 days since Rep Barney Frank called on the White House to say whether they want DADT repealed this year or not. So far, nothing.
Americablog slams HRC President Joe Solmonese:
| Quote: | | Make no mistake. Unless Joe Solmonese finds some balls soon, 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' repeal is not happening this year. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when the Secretary of Defense says no, and the President of the United States is either too scared to defend his own campaign promise, or worse, complicit in undercutting our civil rights, very few members of Congress are going to disagree. One more point. Let these posts from Joe Sudbay and me be a clear marker. Joe Solmonese and the White House have been warned repeatedly that the Democrats are expecting an electoral bloodbath in the November congressional elections, including the distinct possibility that the Republicans will take over the US House. If HRC and the White House think it's hard to get the votes to repeal DADT now, just wait until after the November elections. Not. Gonna. Happen. |
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In response to Marine Corps Commandant General James Conway's ridiculous suggestion, a couple of Andy's readers write:
| Quote: | Don't blame Col. Klink. He's just maintaining the decades-long history of Marine bigotry and asshattery: "If it were a question of having a Marine Corps of 5,000 whites or 250,000 Negroes, I would rather have the whites." - Marine Commandant Maj. Gen. Thomas Holcomb, April 1941.
Holcomb also said allowing blacks into the Marines was simply impractical as they were too small a force to create SEGREGATED BARRACKS! Conway's just the reincarnated Holcomb. But, seriously, he SHOULD be held accountable for his going off script which head of the Joint Chiefs Mullen revealed yesterday actually exists [tho I think it's a charade].
But Obama won't have the balls to punish Conway any more than Clinton had the balls to punish Colin Powell. And, Jack, there are statistics to back you up. Overall, only the Navy discharges more gays than the Marines. |
| Quote: | | has he ever BEEN on a marine base? has he never listened to attitudes from jarheads NOT responding under command. the USMC probably has a higher percentage of gay men (and lesbians)than the general population, and higher than any other branch of the armed forces excepting the navy. I'm not a jarhead, but i lived alongside a marine base, where i came to know many marines, gay and straight and bi, who valued me as a mentor and confidant. clearly none of these guys gave a rats ass who was gay or not, nor did the majority of their buddies. really. |
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"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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General Sheehan 'Sorry' for Blaming Bosnian Genocide on Gays
| Quote: | Former U.S. General John Sheehan has apologized to the Dutch military for remarks he made during testimony before the Senate Armed Services committee regarding "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" which blamed the 1995 Bosnian massacre at Srebrenica on the fact that the Dutch allow gays to serve openly in its military.
The National Post reports:
| Quote: | | John Sheehan, a retired former NATO commander and senior Marine officer, 'wrote a letter of apology,' ministry spokeswoman Anne van Pinxteren told AFP. In it, Mr. Sheehan said he was 'sorry'" for remarks made at a Senate hearing earlier this month where he argued against plans by President Barack Obama to end a ban on allowing gays to serve openly in the US military. 'The case in point that I'm referring to is when the Dutch were required to defend Srebrenica against the Serbs,' he said at the time, referring to the Dutch UN peacekeeping force deployed to protect Bosnian Muslim civilians...'To be clear, the failure on the ground in Srebrenica was in no way the fault of the individual soldiers,' states Mr. Sheehan's letter, dated Monday and addressed to the now retired Mr. Van den Breemen. 'I am sorry that my recent public recollection of those discussions of 15 years ago inaccurately reflected your thinking on some specific social issues in the military,' said the letter, a copy of which was given to AFP by the ministry. 'It is also regrettable that I allowed you to be pulled into a public debate.' |
Sheehan's remarks were condemned by the Dutch military, and Dutch gay rights group Pink Army threatened to sue Sheehan. Pink Army expressed relief at the ex-General's apology. Writes the group:
| Quote: | | 'The reactions and the publicity in the Netherlands and in the United States have obviously put so much pressure on him that he’s had to retract his words' says Peter Schouten, founder of Pink Army. ‘The way things developed around this incident shows that the fight for human rights not only is a cause for government but that interest groups and individual citizens have a role to play in it. This enhances the chance of success against injustice. We have to find a way of getting along with one another.’ says Schouten. The most important thing for Pink Army was to get the apology of Gen. Sheehan and that he acknowledge he had given a wrong statement. Now that he has expressed regret, the need to start legal proceedings has vanished. Tomorrow Pink Army will discuss this with the COC (the largest organization for gay rights in the Netherlands) and the Organization for homosexuals in the Dutch Military. As you know Pink Army had started preparations for a class action suit involving seven gay military personnel at the federal court in California. To progress it was necessary to obtain a deposition from [former commander and chief of the Dutch army] Gen. Van den Breemen . Pink Army had to first find out who was telling the truth in this case. Pink Army expresses the hope that the new statement from Sheehan will receive the same attention as his early remarks before the American Congress, because his words deeply offended gays in and out of the military. ‘With his letter Sheehan has, as far as we are concerned, confirmed that his earlier remarks were incorrect.’ said Schouten. |
So what are the penalties Sheehan will have to endure for totally making something up in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee??? |
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"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin |
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Hephaestion
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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So, the Log Cabin Republicans have a case before the courts, seeking to have DADT struck down. The DOJ is seeking to have the case thrown out, and is quoting extensively from Colin Powell from the early '90s. Thing is, Powell has since changed his mind, done a complete 180˚, and now supports the repeal of DADT.
Rachel Maddow gets into it all here.
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"The dignity of an animal is measured by his capacity to revolt in the face of oppression." -- Mikhail Bakunin |
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Hephaestion
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Location: Where the Wild Things Are...
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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Army General Won't Be Punished for Fighting Repeal of 'DADT'
| Quote: | Hawaii-based three-star Lt. General Benjamin Mixon won't be punished for a letter he wrote to the Stars and Stripes newspaper urging service members to contact congressmen and their chain of command and fight against the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the AP reports:
| Quote: | | Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon's civilian boss says the three-star Army general won't receive a letter of reprimmand or be forced to step down. Army Secretary John McHugh told reporters Wednesday that Mixon has been told that what he did was inappropriate. McHugh says he considers the matter to be closed. Mixon is head of Army forces in the Pacific theater. He had urged troops to 'speak up' and urge political leaders not to repeal the ban. |
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