Tuesday, February 02, 2010

DADT - Obama Throwing Gays Under the Bus Yet Again?

I am really over giving President Obama the benefit of the doubt. Each time he claims to be taking up the cause of LGBT Americans, within days - if not hours - stories leak out that indicate that we have been lied to yet again. In the case of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell signs are surfacing that for yet another year NOTHING of substance will be done. Instead the Pentagon wants to do another study which is simply a way to guarantee that nothing will happen. If I were in a position to do so, I truly think I'd like to move to Spain or some other country where gays are not treated as vermin by the government, both state and federal if one has the misfortune to be a Virginia resident. Apparently, if Obama's lips are moving when addressing LGBT Americans, the only safe assumption is that he's lying. Like me, John Aravosis at America Blog is disgusted and lays into the latest bullshit coming from the Pentagon. Here are some highlights:
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I'm sorry. I recently wrote that Barack Obama was not our president, but in fact Secretary Gates was president. In fact, I was wrong. It now appears that Phyllis Schafly is in charge of the Pentagon, and our entire government. Otherwise, why is the Pentagon putting out talking points about whether lifting the ban will force them to recognize gay marriages? Can they make this issue more incendiary? First segregated showers, now gay marriage. Gotta hand it to them, when DOD decides to screw over their commander in chief and a key constituency of the Democratic party, they do it with gusto.
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A series of telling stories out tonight [last night], all of them bad. It appears that Secretary Gates is going to announce a special team of advisers at tomorrow's DADT hearings in the Senate, and that team will take a good year or so to think over all the really hard issues confronting us with the potential repeal of DADT,
such as gay marriage.
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Their review is expected to look at several sensitive issues, including whether the military should extend marriage and bereavement benefits to the partners of gay soldiers, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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There is no gay marriage at the federal level, and DOMA forbids the federal government from providing marriage benefits. So why is DOD even bringing up gay marriage - and
they do in this second story too, so this is clearly part of their prepared talking points - unless they're simply trying to be sensationalistic.
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There is no reason the White House can't work with the Congress to repeal the ban this year, and simply delay implementation of the repeal until next year when the "study" is done. But if the White House doesn't get Don't Ask Don't Tell repealed this year, then gay and lesbian Democrats, and our allies, need to make the White House, the DNC, and OFA pay a steep price for this betrayal. And any of our gay rights groups who condone and enable this betrayal, should be held just as accountable.
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PS And notice how nowhere in the articles is anyone from the administration talking any longer about putting DADT repeal in the DOD authorization bill this year. Poof, it's gone.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

God what bastards you have in the US Govt., almost as bad as the RC Church...

MurriJ said...

I think we have to support each other. No matter what he says now it passed and he would be a liar if he goes back on his word or doesn't support, we have to stick together. Gay clan USA
MurriJ