The Road Map For Repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Center for American Progress:

Then-Senator Barack Obama pledged during the 2008 presidential campaign that he would work with military leaders and Congress to repeal the law that bans openly gay men and lesbians from serving in the military. Yet the law commonly known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," or DADT, remains in effect despite his campaign promise and subsequent pledges to fulfill it.

Read the whole story: Center for American Progress

Comments

[policyhack]

Remember Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth? An equally dubiosly named group, Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, opposes gays in the military and is preparing for the coming battle. Expect this and other groups to “swift boat” the truth and our gay military men and women.

The U.S. military provides some of the best leadership training available. Surely, it can manage the potential impact to its culture if gay soldiers serve openly. We have the finest military in the world. In the long run, that military will be even stronger if it includes the bravery and talent of all our citizens, including gay men and women who have already proven their ability and desire to serve our country.

http://axisofreason.com/2009/07/09/time-to-repeal-don’t-ask-don’t-tell/

[superstition]

Obama deputy campaign manager abandons DOMA & DADT as priorities
http://www.americablog.com/2009/07/obama-deputy-campaign-manager-abandons.html

"After two weeks of the Obama White House reeling over the gay backlash caused by the anti-gay DOMA brief, which compared gay marriage to incest and pedophilia, we now have...

First, that the burden for doing anything pro-gay in the remaining three and a half years of the Obama administration is now shifted to Congress. Obama has no role whatsoever, and no power to influence anything, even though he's still the leader of the free world.

Second, the three big gay rights priorities that Congress should be focusing on do not even include what have organically become the community's top two priorities: repealing DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell. They're not even mentioned in the Obama deputy's essay."

[We-Are-The-Ones]

Repealing DADT requires an act of Congress. President Obama is no longer in the Senate.

We have Senator Gillibrand (NY) willing to put forth legislation or so she said last week. So far nothing. Rep Tauscher put forth a bill back in March in the House, but the bill has been stalled.

We need Congress to get off its behind to repeal DADT rather than waiting for the President to tell them how to do their jobs.

[hapiday]

President Obama will get the job done. Folks waited 16 years and didn't put any pressure on Clinton or Bush to change DADT or DOMA. President Obama has been president 6 months and now the sky is falling. You got weak in the knees when it came to your rights with Clinton and Bush. President Obama comes along and now we are seeing all this outrage. And, people had the nerve to support the wife (Hillary) of the man who signed DADT into law. Now, that was wacked!

[DRaymond]

.....Admir­al Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently noted that “The president has made his stra- tegic intent very clear…that it’s his intent at some point in time to ask Congress to change the law.”.....­.

Ok, but is there any reason why Congress has to wait for Obama to ask? The last I heard Congress doesn't have to ask anybody's opinion before passing a law. I don't see so much a president being slow about a campaign promise but a Congress who would rather make it Obama's fault that they do not want to pass a law.

If an incremental approach to ending DADT is needed Congress could simply require the Pentagon to develop and maintain a list of units or specialties where service by openly gay persons would not distupt unit performance. The military would most likely come up with a long list. It would then ammend DADT to only cover areas not included in the list. This could be done with essentially zero political cost since it is the military giving it their OK.

[BillMelater]

"As a consequence, more than 265 service members have been discharged on the basis of this discriminatory, outmoded, and counterproductive policy since Obama took office."

Well, somebody must have told. Why did they do that? Maybe to get out? Did you ever think about that aspect?

[CanisLatrans]

I do wonder if this will have to force a policy review on the role of women in the military as well. What would be the rationale behind and gender-segregated barracks, after all?

As for the intimacy issue, there are areas with group showers. Mostly in Basic Training, but also my Reserve unit has one in the building. In Iraq, though, we had trailers outfitted with individual stalls, or (at Taji) an old Iraqi barracks that had individual shower stalls.

[TJCole]

Pick a day and let all of those who can afford it come out all at once, and let them throw nearly a full Division out of our army while a war all over the globe...!

There is strength in numbers...

[wonketteRAWKS]

More disgusting news...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090624/ap_on_re_us/us_gay_exorcism_video

[CaliforniaLove]

DADT is a great piece of legislation.

[wijg]

It discriminates, it's a horrible piece of legislation.

[NWBrunette]

Homophobes are a great source of entertainment.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

You are a homophobic ranter

[nellie]

Why do we need a road map? Let's just say it's over.

[notthistime]

contact Congress and tell THEM to get something on the Presidents desk.

[NWBrunette]

Yes, we know its impossible for Obamaniacs to appreciate that he has an opportunity for leadership on this issue. We know your well-worn rant that ONLY Congress can do something. As has been shown and documented in the press numerous times - and as is explicitly stated in the article - there is much that Obama can do. Including issuing an executive order now to stop the discharges under DADT. Read the article for further details. I know, the rant is coming (only Congress can act). Just because y'all say it over and over and over and over does not make it true.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

I know people like to ignore the fact that DADT is federal legislation and it must be applied unless repealed. All other statements to the contrary are just opinions.

Saying only Congress can pass legislation is not a rant. It is a Constitutional mandate.

[antifluff]

He cannot do this and appeal to the moollahs and religious leaders of the middleeast. He will be labeled an in fadel and have jee hads declared against him. In his book, he said that the people that believed that faith were more important to him than the people here. Stand in line, Americans, he will get to you after he has risen to power in other areas of the world.

[MrVinegar]

You continuously babble about some so-called "intimate" issue and it still makes no sense.

[antifluff]

The intimate issue: the same reason that men do not share showers with women (for those that voted for the current pres: some would not feel safe... it would be a hostile working environment).

[wijg]

Open showers in the military are uncommon, a recent poll shows that 71% of troops always or usually shower privately.

[NWBrunette]

"Hostile working environment"? Are you joking? Did you honestly forget its a war zone?

[peacegurl48]

Ironically this is a Bipartisan issue and an opportunity to do what is ethical and repeal this heinous law.
I still have hope that Obama will do just that.

[NWBrunette]

As for his leadership hope's all we got 'cause he sure has been sitting on his hands.