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Before the lame duck session of the present congress got under way today there was already much skepticism that the DADT repeal amendment contained in the defense authorization bill would actually get passed. However what we have qualifies as a full blown political three ring circus.
Over the week-end Sen, McCain got face time on the talk shows with his attempt to derail things by calling for yet another multi-million dollar study. If at first you don’t get the results you want, study, study, study again.
GetEqual is mounting demonstrations at several sites at the Capitol and at the White House. Their day started with a vigil at the grave of Leonard Matlovitch.
However, the great surprise of the day is that three groups that have been participants in the fight for repeal Out Serve, Knights Out and the Palm Center have all endorsed a position of stripping the repeal amendment from the defense authorization bill in hopes that it will win passage without it. This appears to be a pro-military rather than an anti-gay position.
This development has sent various other groups The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Servicemember Legal Defense Network (SLDN), Servicemembers United (SU) and the Center for American Progress (CAP) taking a position that the repeal amendment should not be stripped from the bill.
The White House has been thoroughly silent on the issue. It is suggested that the president is busy looking for a basketball team that he can talk to.
Is it possible to make a bigger circus out of this?
Is it possible that a constructive solution can come out of this chaos?
I strongly doubt it at this point.
7 Comments
Obama’s looking for a way to create a commission headed by goldman sachs execs to create some sort of gay derivative to sell on wall st where x gay soldiers in the american army gives goldman sachs x millions of dollars.
He’ll find a way to pull it off.
I just don’t understand how we can deny Americans the right to serve our country in the military solely based on their answer to a simple question – are you gay?
What I really don’t like is with the DADT, anyone could turn in their fellow soldier on the suspicion they are gay. And then when asked, we seem to come all unglued as if the whole world stopped.
So, I guess these people that want to keep DADT are like those in some of those mega churches – they would prefer to be lied to than told the truth about someone being a homosexual?
that is just plain stupid.
Let’s be realistic. The leaders we vote in to represent us are playing and simple Nazi’s. They only remember what we want and desire when they are seeking re-election. True i don’t see why can this gay people serve in the military. I guess our saying should be change to the following. “All Men Are Not Created Equal.” and add the following to the American constitution:
If you Black, Latin, Gay or considered a minority in American keep in mind that we will allow to vote, but you are a second class citizen in fact we may one day repeal all of your rights.
thank you and rec’d, Richard
what indeed happened yesterday ?!?!?
fyi – here is a late update with a statement from OutServe:
“J.D. Smith of OutServe issued the following statement, responding to the outcry from LGBT groups after OutServe’s earlier statement:
Let us be clear on where we stand as we begin this lame duck session. Nowhere do we call for repeal to be stripped from the NDAA. No matter what, we will be soldiers in this fight and the real issue is this: while people like Senator McCain continue to demonize us as unpatriotic and disloyal soldiers, we will stand strong with our fellow military members. Unlike Senator McCain, we refuse to abandon our comrades at a time when this country is dealing with multiple military conflicts.
Senator McCain should be the target of the blame for the continued stalling and distractions during this process, and is responsible, ultimately, for perpetuating discrimination against gay and lesbian service members.
In the past few years on active duty, my greatest support has come from straight active duty service members. They have stood by me when leadership tried to investigate me under DADT and risked their careers in order to protect me. They have been the rock of my support over the years. As a gay man and a proud member of the military, I have two dogs in this fight. It is incredibly painful to see how politicians – especially Senator McCain – will play politics with the lives of patriotic Americans, gay and straight.]”
found here: http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2010/11/choi-to-white-house-outserve-a.html
the little hairs on the back of my neck went up when the story broker early yesterday and I saw The Palm Center was one of the 3 groups – wth ?
they have been instrumental in getting folks up to speed on an E.O. under Stop/Loss. seemed like a dramatic 180
anyhoo – there was a private meeting with Valerie Jarrett last month – all attendees agreed not to divulge details of that meeting – The Palm Center was among the attendees
have been concerned they were bought off or under the sway of all that heady access – that would be tragic
“when the story broke”
jeebus
This move by OutServe and Knights Out was astonishingly boneheaded. A big mistake.