Former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel has been approved by the Senate as President Obama’s new Secretary of Defense, after a contentious confirmation process that saw some members of the LGBT community aligning with conservatives to question Hagel’s commitment to an inclusive military.
Initially outraged by homophobic statements Hagel made in the 1990s, many gay advocacy groups came around to endorse his appointment after Hagel apologized and pledged to secure the rights of LGBT military personnel.
In fact, Allyson Robinson, the executive director of the gay military organization OutServe-SLDN, called his approval “a win” for gays in the military:
We congratulate Senator Hagel for enduring an incredibly arduous confirmation process to become our next Secretary of Defense – this is a win for all service members, and for LGBT service members and their families especially.
We thank the Senator for his commitment to equal treatment and equal opportunity, and we urge him to take swift action to include our service members in non-discrimination and anti-harassment protections.
Michael
“a win”—TRANSLATION: the totally, shamelessly, ludicrously co-opted SLDN has a
fresh ass to kiss in the Pentagon. “Fall on your knees, oh, hear the……”
jwrappaport
Not to sound aggressively gay or anything, but I’m confused how this is a “win” for LGBT servicemembers.
Kieran
Every one of the 41 Senators who voted against Chuck Hagel as US Defense Secretary are Republican. That the War party is so vociferously against Hagel should give you a clue why this is a win.
bugg
As a radical leftist, anarchist queer who frankly doesn’t really like Obama at all, I am actually pretty pleased with this event. In this political climate someone like Hagel is the best we could have realistically hoped for. He may be a little behind on LGBT issues (and he does seem to have evolved on that point), but on foreign relations issues he is comparatively progressive and seems focused on avoiding militaristic solutions to the US government’s woes. I think less human lives are in danger with this guy than many of the other possible picks, and that is the most important thing in the world.