Ask. Tell. California’s federal District Court Judge Virginia Phillips has declared our military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy “unconstitutional.” And it’s about damn time!
1999 Clinton judicial appointee (ironic considering the policy was his) Phillips has ruled that the U.S. government can no longer enforce the policy as her decision in Log Cabin Republicans vs. the United States of America. She writes “Plaintiff has demonstrated it is entitled to the relief sought on behalf of its members, a judicial declaration that the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act violates the Fifth and First Amendments, and a permanent injunction barring its enforcement.” Get it, Ginny!
Queerty reports that our government is expected to issue an immediate injunction against the decision, despite President Obama’s declared intent to have the law repealed. Their argument is that the Honorable Ginny Phillips (seriously, screw GaGa, we need to start idolizing the important bitches) doesn’t have jurisdiction to reverse Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Stay tuned.
– Andy
Hear hear! Idolise the ones that actually make life better or have something intelligent to contribute!
That’s fantastic that there has been a judicial decision on DADT!
Imagine that! Republicans are the ones that took up the fight against it……… Yeah…. We Republicans are SO bad………. Pthhhht!
People don’t real understand that is the DOJ job to defend a law whether the current admin support the law or not. The law was made by congress so DOJ has to defend it. It would be the same regardless if it is Dem or Reps in the office. So the outcome of the ruling will force those who are involved to implement the better policy for everyone.
So everyone stop bashing the current admins. They got nothing to do with it.
I wasn’t aware that Bill Clinton was still in office……….
I honestly don’t get Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Who gives a shit if you’re gay or straight in the military? If you wanna fight and die for our country, being turned away based on your sexuality is horrible. The “law” shouldn’t even have gone into effect in the first place, as far as I’m concerned.
The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
I spent 5 years in the Army as a gay male. I’m not a rainbow flag wearing flamer, but people knew. And I want to give you my take on it.
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was there for my safety. Yeah, I wouldn’t have been so dumb as to broadcast it anyway, but all it would have taken was one of those Testosterone driven combat arms apes to figure it out when we were out in the field for my safety to be in jeopardy. I remember once being assigned to drive a Humvee for a group of in-training Rangers. Two of them got into a fist fight over a fuckin card game. How do you think they’d react knowing they were showering with a gay guy?
Well, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell might be a sign of prejudice for you guys, but for me, it was my direction to be cautious. Guess I wouldn’t have cared much about my rights when my last thought was how unsanitary that urinal was that my head cracked open on…
wow Myke you should tell more people about that you really changed my perspective on this issue thank you for sharing
@Myke – Thank you for bringing that up. Anybody with an ounce of brains should have realized that fact before they started complaining about their rights as a gay person. The people here who complain “We have the right to be gay if we want to be and no one can stop us…blah…blah….blah” have obviously never been involved with a group that was totally homophobic. Being openly gay in some military situations can lead to being taken out by “friendly fire”. The atmosphere for gays and lesbians has changed drastically in just the last 5 years. In my kids groups of friends, being gay is like being left-handed for the most part. In the next 5 years, I don’t think anyone will give a damn about who you’re sleeping with. But we’re not quite there yet.
@ Mike
I have been serving for 5 years and will continue to serve in the Army with mixed emotions about the issue. Over the past several years I developed the relationships with my soldiers from few people suspecting to now everyone knowing (up to our Lt Colonel) This is a cavalry unit and therefore it doesn’t have the typically easier views of completely medical, public affairs etc units.
Although I understand where you’re coming from, I grew out of that mindset. The effect the policy had on you can be reached by a simple ‘safety brief’ of some sort, maybe even annually to raise awareness and possible negative effects of coming out. As far as I’m concerned, any gay man or women already knows that considering most deal with the question at school, work, family and every single other group an individual encounters, therefore raising awareness of the effects of coming out is important, but probably a no-brainer for most of us.
As far as protection concerned, the current policy doesn’t provide you with any. It simply creates an invisible fence that can be easily crossed by either party as they see fit without much retribution if the other party agrees (as in my situation.) There is no anti-discrimination regulation against sexual orientation within the UCMJ.
What this policy does do, is making me ponder from time-to-time that when a new guy comes into our squadron, will I have to worry about him jumping ranks and reporting waaay high, therefore putting pressure on my superiors to take actions against their desire to keep me here.
As for shower situations – which seems to be brought up every time DADT is mentioned, – don’t you think it’s an individual thing? Every soldier in my squadron deals with it differently. Some come in with me and crack jokes about it; some just come in, do their thing and leave. They all know I won’t give a crap and no one seems to feel uncomfortable. Undoubtedly there are a few who doesn’t like me being in the shower with them, but then they can wait until I prance my arse out of there…
Ps.: You’d be surprised how some of the type of soldiers you described that got into a fight reacts when they find out. Did it ever cross your mind the two would get into a fist fight with a third because he disrespected you on the basis of your sexual orientation?
I’m sorry that you did not got into a situation as me where this policy would only hinder your availability to be open and honest with everyone from day one, making you wait and test them for acceptance before actually talking about who you really are, or at least a part of you…
@U – thanks for the very thoughtful and enlightening comment. it’s great to get the perspective of someone on the inside who has experience. most people are just spouting their opinions as if they were fact (not Myke, however, who simply has a different, interesting perspective – thanks to you also). your articulate and heartfelt words are much appreciated.