From the State of the Union to action: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” targeted
By Joel McDonald • Feb 2nd, 2010 • Category: Blog, Related News & EventsLast year was a roller coaster for advocates of LGBT equality in the United States. We began the year celebrating in inauguration of President Barack Obama, and also licking our wounds from the Proposition 8 battle in California. A major accomplishment was the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act, but then we saw gay marriage struck down in places we thought were safe, and passed in some of the most unlikely places. Many questioned whether or not civil rights for LGBT peoples in our nation was a sure thing that would inevitably happen with effort over time.
Though we became more critical of President Obama’s promises unfulfilled last year, and frustrated that more elected officials were not willing to step out and fight for equality. Well, this year that seems to be changing, and it’s changing from the top. During President Obama’s first State of the Union address, within a section on protecting civil rights, President Obama committed the US Military to work toward the repeal of the infamous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy that has led to thousands of armed service members being discharged simply because of who they chose to spend their lives with.
The floodgates for LGBT equality may indeed be opening. 2010 may prove to be a historic year for this community. In addition to the repeal of DADT, just last week Congressman Glenn Nye (D-Virginia 2nd) co-signed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). A version of this bill is in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and could likely face a vote soon. This bill would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. I would personally like to thank Congressman Nye for the many discussions we’ve had regarding ENDA and his co-signing the bill.
Now that President Obama has thrown down the gauntlet on DADT, we should be seeing military and elected leaders step up and push for the repeal of this policy. Just today, it was reported the nation’s top uniformed officer, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly backs the ending of DADT. Hopefully we’re on track to finally ending our history of intolerance in our armed forces.
Related posts:
- Reflecting on the National Equality March
- Get Involved: Declaration of Independence GLBT Demonstration
- Health Care Reform passes House of Representatives
Joel McDonald has been following Virginia politics since February 2008, starting with the Democratic Presidential Primary. Since then, he has been the primary new media contact for progressive district and statewide campaigns.
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[...] From the State of the Union to action: “Don't Ask, Don't Tell … [...]
The DODT policy is a disgrace. Hopefully like Jim Crow, DODT will become another historical footnote in the maturity of this Democracy.
Sorry , in my last post I meant DADT.
“Intolerance”? Try that with people who don’t understand the English language. You don’t want to keep your private life private, and you don’t want “tolerance.” You want “acceptance,” something no one, whether a deviant or not, is entitled to.
James,
When an institution creates a zero tolerance policy, that policy by definition is intolerant. That’s not always a bad thing, except when you start applying such policies to race, color, creed, or sexuality. An institution can be intolerant of having students bring weapons or drugs to school, and that’s fine. What isn’t fine is when an instritution is intolerant of having Hispanics go to that school.
Settling that, the differece between your opinion and mine is that I believe that sexual orientation, if not strictly heterosexual, is not a chosen state of sexual deviancy. I base this opinion on personal experience, the experience of others, and a general understanding of studies regarding sexuality.
The question of whether or not homosexuality is a choice is not only extremely important in the debate on gay rights, it’s central to the debate. While I personally subscribe to the Kinsey scale, which allows for some choice, I also can attest to the reality that there are people who have no choice in the matter regarding being attracted to people of the same sex. These people, in the grand scheme of things, are a small minority. However, no matter how small that minority may be, they are entitled to every right and privilege granted to any citizen in the pursuit of happiness. As Admiral Mullen testified regarding DADT, “everybody counts.”
A man serving in the military shouldn’t have to worry about slipping and mentioning his boyfriend, or even who he considers his husband, in conversation. He shouldn’t have to worry about someone overhearing his personal phone calls, or seeing letters from home. He shouldn’t have to lie about his life in order to serve his country.