Gay Republicans Call for “Full Repeal” of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
By HHR | February 3rd, 2010 | Category: Featured |
A press release from Log Cabin Republicans calling for the Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Board Chair Terry Hamilton made the following statement:
“As this country remains committed to a strong national defense, now is the time for the President and Congress to act swiftly and decisively to repeal the failed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy….This policy has reduced the strength of our military forces, by disqualifying and dismissing soldiers with valuable skill sets that are critically needed. It is time for the United States military to join the ranks of our allies such as Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Israel, Australia and Canada and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.”
Washington, DC) - In advance of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing tomorrow on the legislative efforts to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy with expected testimony from U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Log Cabin Republicans issued the following statement:
“As this country remains committed to a strong national defense, now is the time for the President and Congress to act swiftly and decisively to repeal the failed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy,” stated Log Cabin Republicans National Chairman Terry Hamilton. “This policy has reduced the strength of our military forces, by disqualifying and dismissing soldiers with valuable skill sets that are critically needed. It is time for the United States military to join the ranks of our allies such as Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Israel, Australia and Canada and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military,” continued Hamilton.
A survey conducted by Gallup showed that fifty-eight percent of self-identified conservatives and Republicans support repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. According to numerous sources, since the policy was enacted over 13,000 servicemembers have been discharged, including at least 500 under the Obama Administration.
“Log Cabin Republicans remains committed to working with allies in the House and Senate to ensure repeal of this policy legislatively,” said Hamilton. “As this process works through Congress, President Obama must use his full executive authority to suspend prosecutions and instruct Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department to suspend its defense of the policy in the Courts. The President cannot have it both ways; he must be in favor of using every avenue to overturn this policy, not just the one that gives him the most credit,” concluded Hamilton.
Currently, Log Cabin Republicans vs. The United States of America, is the only direct challenge to the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, filed in the wake the Supreme Court’s decision in Lawrence v. Texas. It is also the only contemporary legal challenge to this policy to succeed at the district court level. One of the injured parties named in the case, Alexander Nicholson, is a former U.S. Army Human Intelligence Collector who speaks multiple languages, including Arabic, and who was fired because of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law just six months after 9/11. Another injured party in the case, listed simply as ‘John Doe,’ currently serves in the Armed Forces and would face a discharge if his identity were revealed.
From the folks at GayPatriot.com
Obama Not Repeating Clinton’s Mistakes on Gays in Military
Shortly after his inauguration now more than seventeen years ago, the then-new President Bill Clinton rushed to repeal the ban on gays serving in the military, something he could (then) have done with the stroke of a pen. But, he barely consulted the military brass, if at all nor did he secure the support of key Democrats in Congress, like Sam Nunn, then-Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Controversy ensued and DADT was the result.
The incumbent has taken a different tack. Instead of rushing ahead, as if speed were needed to fulfill a promise to an interest group, Obama has instructed his top defense officials to develop a plan to repeal the ban while preserving the morale and readiness of our armed forces:
“We have received our orders from the commander in chief, and we are moving out accordingly,” [Defense Secretary Robert M]. Gates told the committee. “However, we can also take this process only so far, as the ultimate decision rests with you, the Congress.”
Any change in the policy would not come any time soon, the two officials made clear. Both Admiral Mullen and Mr. Gates told the committee that there would be a Pentagon review, taking up to a year, to study how to implement any change before they expected Congress to act on a repeal.
Look, I wish the Administration had set the process in motion last year. But, the key thing is that he is doing it now and going about it the right way. He’s showing that he understands it’s not just an issue of gay rights, but more importantly one involving national security. You can just ask our armed forces to change a policy, no matter how wrong-headed that policy is, willy-nilly.
As Commander in Chief, as Chief Executive, he tells the officials responsible for administering a policy that he’d like to change it and asks them to implement the change so as not to impede the smooth operation of their organization. A very conservative method of promoting change.
Let’s hope we see it in other departments.
From the group GOProud.com
For ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal - It’s Ground Hog Day
Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director - “Today, we are going to get more of what we have, unfortunately, come to expect from the Obama administration when it comes to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal - lots of talk and little action.”
(Washington, D.C.) - Today, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen will testify in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. “It’s going to be Ground Hog Day on Capitol Hill,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director of GOProud - the only national organization for gay conservatives and their allies. “Today, we are going to get more of what we have, unfortunately, come to expect from the Obama administration when it comes to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal - lots of talk and little action.”
According to press reports, Secretary Gates and Chairman Mullen will offer nothing new, but will tout a decrease in discharges under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” “Decreases in ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ started under the Bush administration,” continued LaSalvia. “Apparently the irony is lost on this administration. After a year of blaming President Bush for everything, these same folks are now going to try to take credit for decreases in discharges that began eight years ago on George W. Bush’s watch - it’s almost laughable.”
In addition to touting a decrease in discharges under the discriminatory policy, Secretary Gates and Chairman Mullen are expected to announce the creation of a group that will assess how to carry out full-repeal, if and when repeal happens. “Talk about a political slight of hand. Instead, of telling us how he will repeal the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, President Obama and his administration is putting together a group to study how to implement a policy the President hasn’t lifted a finger to pass,” said LaSalvia. “What has this administration done to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?’ They haven’t even even bothered to issue a statement of administration policy in support of the repeal legislation pending in Congress they claim to support.”
“It is time for this administration to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal,” concluded LaSalvia.
Wasn’t it Ronald Reagan who vetoed a law banning gays from teaching in the classrooms?
Wasn’t it Barry Goldwater who supported gays in the military?
Come on GOP, repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!