Tag Archives: dont ask dont tell

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A new GOP push to delay repealing DADT is on –


If you thought the fight to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was finally over, think again.

 We all thought it was a done deal when President Obama signed the repeal into law. But House Republicans pulled a stunt that could delay or even stop the repeal from taking effect by passing an outrageous series of amendments to the bill that funds our military.

 We can’t stay silent in the face of this new GOP push to turn back the clock on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t tell.

 Help the DCCC surpass their goal of getting 100,000 signatures to their petition supporting the repeal. We need to hold the House Republicans accountable for putting their radical social agenda ahead of keeping our military strong and our families safe.

Voice your outrage at House Republicans trying to turn back the clock on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Sign our petition and then forward it to your friends and family.http://www.dccc.org/page/m/1d63ca50/1b9dd8ab/486ed6cc/4e0cee73/619517217/VEsH/

 When I served in Congress, it was an honor to sponsor and fight for legislation to finally end this discriminatory policy. As an Army officer, I saw firsthand how the policy forces patriots to lie about who they are just so they can defend the freedoms that make America great.

 We could not have passed legislation to repeal this policy without your grassroots support. Now, we must keep the pressure on, by exposing the despicable tactics that the Republicans are using to stop the repeal from taking effect.

Sign our petition opposing the efforts being made by House Republicans to turn back the clock on repeal.    http://www.dccc.org/page/m/1d63ca50/1b9dd8ab/486ed6cc/4e0cee73/619517217/VEsH/

 We’ve come too far. We must see this fight through to the end.

 It’s time to put Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the history books for good.

 Patrick Murphy

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BREAKING: New attacks on DADT repeal


Late last night, right-wing Republicans in the House launched a desperate attack on the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).

The House Armed Services Committee passed unnecessary, hostile amendments to delay DADT repeal – and to prevent equal access to military facilities all while infringing on the religious liberties of military chaplains.

These Republicans are so desperate to keep gays and lesbians from serving America that they’d reverse the course set by Congress and the Pentagon, and undo the work the Defense Department has already done to prepare for repeal.

Now the bill goes to the House floor – where House Speaker John Boehner can strip out these amendments if he chooses. With a large public outcry right now, we can show Republicans that they will pay a political price if Speaker Boehner puts anti-gay discrimination before national security.

Sign now: “Mr. Boehner, stop the underhanded attacks on repeal – focus on keeping us safe.”

www.hrc.org

We passed the bill to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” last year. The nation’s top military leaders supported it. President Obama signed it. But anti-equality House members haven’t given up. They’re trying to bury repeal under a mountain of delays, distractions, and scare tactics – amendments to the National Defense Authorization bill that would:

Delay repeal by demanding that all service chiefs “certify” it before repeal is finalized – even though it already has to be certified by the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chiefs themselves testified in October that this step is unnecessary.

Prevent equal access to military facilities and infringe on religious liberty by prohibiting the use of Department of Defense facilities for marriages between same-sex couples even in states where those marriages are legal – and prohibiting military chaplains from performing same-sex marriages even when their religious traditions recognize them.

Reaffirm the Defense of Marriage Act even though every federal agency is already bound by the discriminatory law – a blatant attempt by Vicky Hartzler, the representative once termed “the most anti-gay candidate in America,” to distract and delay repeal.

The American public wants Speaker Boehner and the House to focus on the real work of our nation – keeping us safe and getting our economy back on track – not a hateful crusade to prevent open military service. The speaker still has time to strip these amendments from the bill before bringing it to the floor. But it’s up to us to show that there’s a political cost to thwarting the will of Congress and the nation.

Tell Boehner: Stop undermining repeal.  www.hrc.org

The American people want an end to discrimination in our nation’s military. Speaker Boehner must stop his party’s delaying tactics and allow repeal to move forward – now.

Repeal first passed because so many of you raised your voices. I know we can count on you to speak up yet again.

Sincerely,

Joe Solmonese

President

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DOMA:The Sinking Ship


From: The Progress Report  …

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activists have resigned themselves to not seeing any substantial legislative progress toward equality while Republicans control the House of Representatives. Nevertheless, it has never been more apparent how the times have changed in the two decades since laws like the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) passed, both of which were actually seen as progress at the time. DOMA, some argued, at least allowed for individual states to legalize marriage for same-sex couples (as some since have), and DADT at least allowed gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to serve in the military, just so long as nobody knew who they were. It’s now been 15 years since the DOMA boat set sail, but its titanic barriers to equality are slowly sinking. In the meantime, same-sex couples are still struggling to make due without the federal protections marriage provides, while conservatives try every trick they know to keep inequality on the books.

LOST AT SEA: Though DOMA blocks 1,138 federal marriage benefits from same-sex couples, there is one in particular that’s particularly hard on some couples: not having the right to sponsor a foreign-born partner for residency. Immigration Equality estimates there are 36,000 same-sex binational couples living in the U.S., 45 percent of whom are raising children. Because of DOMA, any couple not protected by employment sponsorship is at risk of being separated by deportation. The Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) legal group actually warns these couples not to get married (PDF) as doing so may expose the foreign-born partner’s status and lead to deportation. In the wake of the President’s decision that DOMA is unconstitutional and should not be defended, the Department of Justice has twice suggested it might halt deportations, only to then reassert that deportations will continue. The first occasion was in March, when Citizenship and Immigration Services announced they would suspend the cases of married gay couples, but announced the following day that nothing had changed. Then, last week, Attorny General Eric Holder vacated a case, asking the Board of Immigration Appeals to reconsider it outside the context of DOMA. Again, hopes were raised, and a judge in Newark, New Jersey actually adjourned in a different case on Friday to give that couple an extra six months. On Saturday, however, the DOJ reaffirmed that deportations are still underway. Two proposed bills, the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) and Reuniting Families Act (RFA), would protect same-sex couples from deportation, but the demise of DOMA would likely eliminate the disparities entirely.

PLUGGING THE LEAKS: As the DOJ chips away at DOMA and the military works toward certification of repeal of DADT, conservatives at both the state and federal levels are trying to halt the flow of equality in any way they can (in addition to the House’s radically expensive plan to defend DOMA). This week, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) will introduce an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to prevent Navy bases from performing marriages for same-sex couples after DADT is lifted, even in states where those marriages are legal. He claims that “federal property and federal employees, like Navy chaplains, should not be used to perform marriages that are not recognized by federal law.” Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) is going a step further, introducing the second of many expected bills and amendments intended to derail the DADT repeal process. General George Casey opposed a similar move by Hunter in January. Meanwhile, Republican-controlled states like Pennsylvania and Minnesota are following Indiana’s lead by considering constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage even though both states already prohibit same-sex marriage by law. In fact, the religious right is ramping up an extensive new multi-million dollar campaign called “Ignite An Enduring Cultural Transformation” that will push for anti-LGBT measures in states up through the 2012 election. But times have changed even since 2004, and it’s unlikely conservatives will have the same success using same-sex marriage as a wedge issue as they did then.

THE RISING TIDE: For the first time ever, opposing LGBT equality is the unpopular position in American politics. Polls have been consistently showing majority support for marriage equality, just as they showed overwhelming support for repealing DADT last fall. Target and Chik-Fil-A have gotten incredible pressure from LGBT activists for their support of anti-gay candidates and groups. Law firm King & Spalding backed out of their defense of DOMA after clients and employees voiced their dissent. Olympic gold medalist Peter Vidmar had to step down from his appointment as chef de mission for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team because of his support for Proposition 8, California’s rollback of marriage equality. Graduates of the University of Michigan Law School walked out of their own commencement ceremony this weekend to protest the anti-gay voting record of the guest speaker, Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). Despite the clear growing unpopularity of anti-gay positions, almost every GOP presidential candidate has towed the party line in maintaining them. Romney, Bachmann, Gingrich, Santorum, Pawlenty, Trump, Paul and others have all defended DOMA and come out against LGBT equality in other ways. The only exception is Fred Karger, who is actually making history as the first-ever openly gay presidential candidate, though the national stage has not given him much attention. Hopefully the history books look upon Karger kindly as the first Republican candidate to step out of the shadow of the religious right and join the Zeitgeist in embracing LGBT equality

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It’s simply not right … a message from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand


Last year I helped lead the effort to overturn “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and I’m thrilled that very soon, LGBT Americans will be able to serve openly in our armed forces. This is a big victory for equality, but there’s still so far we have yet to go.

I believe every American should be able to marry the person they love. Yet in 1996, the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (or DOMA) codified the discriminatory notion that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

DOMA denies same-sex couples the basic privileges enjoyed by straight couples, and prevents state-approved legal marriages from being recognized across the country.

This is wrong.

If we are to achieve full marriage equality for all, Congress must repeal DOMA now.

That’s why I’m proud to partner with Democracy for America to make sure the repeal of DOMA becomes a reality.

http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/561?akid=577.1480546.tmfy-d&t=1

Recently, President Obama ordered the Justice Department to stop defending DOMA in federal court. This is a huge first step, but the fact is that as long as DOMA remains on the books it will continue to be enforced until Congress repeals it legislatively.

Tomorrow, I will join Senator Feinstein as we introduce DOMA repeal legislation in the U.S. Senate.

Can I count on you to join us on the frontlines of this fight?

Please sign here to join the fight for marriage equality by urging Congress to repeal this discriminatory and unconstitutional law. >> http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/561?akid=577.1480546.tmfy-d&t=2

It’s simply not right that my husband and I should be able to enjoy rights and privileges that LGBT Americans are denied.

Thank you for everything you do to ensure marriage equality for all Americans,

– Kirsten

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

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Tim Pawlenty Moves to the right …


Today, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) will address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the annual DC gathering of political activists and potential Republican presidential hopefuls. On Monday, this moderate Republican governor from a heavily Democratic state was brandishing his conservative credentials by appearing at a Presidential Lecture Series in Iowa sponsored by The Family Leader. That group is a “Christ-centered organization” which “champions the principle that God is the ultimate leader of the family” and is leading the campaign to repeal marriage equality in the state. The organization’s president, Bob Vander Plaats, is a former high school principal and failed gubernatorial candidate who recently led a successful campaign to unseat three of Iowa Supreme Court Justices for overturning the state’s marriage discrimination law. Vander Plaats has since embarked on a 99-county tour of Iowa in which he presents The Family Leader as a traditional religious group that is more interested in restoring biblical values than slandering gay people. But the group’s materials describe homosexuality as a public health crisis akin to smoking, and endorse scientifically discredited ex-gay reversal therapies.

PAWLENTY ON DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL: Last month, Pawlenty made waves when he suggested that he would reinstate the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy if elected President. At the Family Leader forum, Pawlenty went a step further, saying that he would support rescinding the funds necessary for the Department of Defense to implement a repeal of DADT. In response to a question from ThinkProgress, Pawlenty reiterated his argument for why the policy should not have been repealed and then, when pushed, agreed that taking away the funding “would be a reasonable step.” In a separate, recent interview with ThinkProgress, Pawlenty refused to say whether gays should be allowed to serve in the military at all, explaining, “I really defer to the military leaders to a large degree on this issue. I supported maintaining Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Pressed again on whether he would be “comfortable with gays being able to serve in the military as long as they aren’t public with their orientation,” Pawlenty wouldn’t answer, saying, “I really would defer to the military leaders and military more broadly.”

PAWLENTY’S FAITH: During the forum — which featured three separate stops across the state — Pawlenty repeatedly emphasized his Evangelical Christian faith, even going so far as to suggest that his opposition to expanding marriage to gays and lesbians was a “universal” value that was “embedded in our culture.” Asked by a reporter if it was “appropriate for policy to be driven by values that are not necessarily shared by everyone, yet have a very significant effect on everyone,” Pawlenty said that he was respectful of different beliefs, before insisting that his values are universal and that “we’re going to make sure we respect traditional marriage.” But Pawlenty hasn’t always been this convinced of the righteousness of his anti-gay beliefs. In 1993, Pawlenty, then a state legislator, voted to extend protection to gays and lesbians under the state Human Rights Act, effectively banning discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation as well as race, religion, ethnicity and physical or mental disability. By 2002, he expressed regret for the vote, but a year later, suggested that nobody should be discriminated against for a job or housing simply because they are gay. In 2009, however, Pawlenty told Newsweek’s Howard Fineman that the 1993 act was “overbaked” and “not worded the way it should be” because it protected cross-dressers “and a variety of other people involved in behaviors that weren’t based on sexual orientation.”

PRESERVING ‘TRADITIONAL’ MARRIAGE: While Pawlenty did not directly address Iowa’s ongoing legislative effort to rescind marriage for gay and lesbian couples, he repeatedly reiterated his support for “traditional marriage” and “values.” Iowa Republicans were more direct about taking away rights from gays and lesbians. Following the Presidential Lecture Series, ThinkProgress spoke with Iowa State Rep. Dwayne Alons (R) — a co-sponsor of Iowa’s anti-gay marriage equality bill — in the state capitol and asked him if he agreed with the Family Leader’s characterizations of homosexuality as a public health crisis. Alons did, reciting some bullet points from the Family Leader’s “fact sheet” and suggesting that defining marriage between a man and a woman would correct “problems to society.” “Well, look at all that has been spent, you know, with the AIDS and with the issues related to the dying at an early age. I think life, longevity, of a lot of these folks is below 50, when you know, the normal people that do not enter into that kind of relationship, they’re either late into their 70s or early 80s for longevity,” Alons said. “A lot more actual productive years and contributing to society.” The story, which was picked up by KTIV News Channel 4, has sparked some controversy for Alons, who has chosen to stand by his remarks rather than to apologize for them.