House approves repeal of gay ban in military

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 10:54pm

It's about fcuking time

"WASHINGTON – The House on Thursday delivered a victory to President Barack Obama and gay rights groups by approving a proposal to repeal the law that allows gays to serve in the military only if they don't disclose their sexual orientation."
Full Story

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 10:56pm

From Michelangelo Signorile: "NYT lead gets wording right: "The House voted on Thursday to let the Defense Department repeal the ban..." #DADT is NOT repealed."

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 11:06pm

Though all the work isn't done, this is a significant step, especially if the Dems lose the House and/or the Senate in November.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 11:07pm

^
That is an important aspect. There has been a lot of contentions between the military and universities about banning ROTC programs on college campuses b/c of DADT. The military and pro-ROTC on campus crowd have always claimed it was congressional legislation that was not done by the military (but of course they enforce it). Now congress punts to the DoD. Doesn't Gibbs still have that study from the Pentagon to get all done?

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 11:22pm

Also, the contingent repeal made it out of the Senate Armed Services committee. This is another important step. The Senate committee vote was close to party line, with Webb (D-VA) and Collins (R-ME) voting against their parties.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 11:29pm

I think you bring up valid points (as usual), madbrian, but this all rests on trusting the DoD to do as promised. It's almost like trusting a drug addict to quit cold turkey, as someone put it.

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/27/10 at 11:45pm

I think Gates and Mullen are on the record as being in favor of the repeal, so I think Congress is the bigger obstacle.

"It's almost like trusting a drug addict to quit cold turkey, as someone put it."

I think that quote is far more applicable to Congress than the military.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/28/10 at 12:20am

"#DADT is NOT repealed."

No one said it was.

Posted: 5/28/10 at 10:42am

As recently as February, Florida Governor Charlie Crist expressed his support for the ban on gays in the military. Said his spokesperson at that time: "We are a nation at war. The governor believes the current policy has worked, and there is no need to make changes."

Crist Today, Crist flip-flopped, with this statement regarding the DADT compromise:

"Ultimately, as in all military matters I defer to the Pentagon and to the Generals and what the Senate is doing today is giving them the ultimate authority to do what is best for our military. So, I would be inclined to support the Senate's action on this."
I defer

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/28/10 at 10:47am

Remember when the gays (and even more broadly, the left) were considered a bunch of namby pamby sissies? I love how now we're ruthless and evil and murderous.
Hitler and the Brownshirts were Homos!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 5/28/10 at 11:01am

just...wow!

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/28/10 at 11:36am

What an idiot. I love one of the comments below the story...

"So, any bets on when this guy is caught with a rentboy?"