Just because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has called for a full floor vote on the Defense Department’s spending bill, which includes that DADT compromise, doesn’t mean we’re about to see soldiers marching at pride parades in uniform. There are still lots of scary hurdles to get through, like Republicans! Even those not named John McCain. And then there’s President Barack Obama! He’s got that scary veto threat if Congress doesn’t do exactly what he says about some fighter planes.
(If you’re looking for guidance from the nation’s leading Gay Inc. groups, get in line. Politico picks up the typical vague quotes from folks like Allison Herwitt, legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign: “There are certainly challenges in the legislative time left to getting the bill across the finish line. Some of the challenges are obviously extraneous to our community and to the defense bill itself.”)
And while all this is going on, Australia has managed to embarrass the United States as a bastion of 19th century thinking: Military chief Angus Houston yesterday issued an order that eliminated the armed forces’ ban on transgender troops — 18 years after Australia lifted its ban on gay soldiers, and two years after service members in same-sex couples.
Eddie
I think what you fail to realize queerty, that as a society we are quite young. America, at least socially, has alot of growing up to do. We have only existed for around 400 years, while European and Asian countries have been developing socially for for centuries. To win this fight for equality we must go forth with hope that things can change. We must hope that one day a younger generation will not have to face the bashings and discrimination we ourselves have. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we must stop being such cynics and have hope.
Jase
@Eddie
USA:
First British colony in 1607
Earliest claim of Independence in 1776 (Declaration)
Australia:
First British colony in 1788
Earliest claim of Independence in 1901 (Constitutional)
Eddie
@Jase: True. However, being that Australia was a colony of the British they are bound to retain many of the social customs of the British. Whereas we in America began to reject anything British and tuned toward a more socially Conservative puritan view. As such Australia has the characteristic liberation views of western Europe.