On Saturday, July 21, active members of the Armed Forces marched in uniform for the first time at a gay Pride event during San Diego LGBT Pride. Though members marched in civilian clothing last year after the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, this marked the first time the Secretary of Defense gave them the green light to don their official regalia. Looking snazzy, folks!
http://youtu.be/YQolV7dQWSg
KARUADAM
Cool, I love you all guys in uniforms! don`t ever forget who got you this freedom!! OBAMA.
Michael Bedwell
@KARUADAM: @KARUADAM:
Excuse me for interrupting with the facts, but now-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta had a pro gay rights record as Congressman before anyone outside of Illinois had even HEARD of Barack Obama. Second, CONGRESS repeals laws NOT Presidents. And while his limited lip service for repeal was helpful, he did not do NEARLY what he could have done.
EXHIBIT A:
METROWEEKLY, MARCH 26, 2010: “Asked if repeal efforts would succeed this year, Rep. Barney Frank said, ‘’I hope so. I THINK THE PRESIDENT’S GOT TO STEP UP MORE. I’ve talked to both Sen. [Carl] Levin [D-Mich.] and Rep. Murphy, and we’re still trying to do that. IT’S HARDER WITH THE ADMINISTRATION’.’ Following up on what he previously referred to as the ‘’ambiguous’’ nature of the White House’s support for a repeal this year, Rep. Frank said, ‘THEY’RE DUCKING. BASICALLY, YEAH, THEY’RE NOT BEING SUPPORTIVE, AND they’re letting Gates be the spokesman, which is a great mistake’. Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, echoed Frank’s comments, saying in a statement, ”With health insurance reform passed and a successful conclusion reached, now is the time for MORE VISIBLE AND AGGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO push for a vote this year.”
EXHIBIT B:
TALKING POINTS MEMO, MAY 26, 2010: “The final push [for ‘repeal’] came from the Hill, where key members of Congress who support ‘repeal’, like Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), the powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made it clear that they were moving forward with “repeal” legislation with or without the WHITE HOUSE’S blessing. ‘LEVIN AND OTHERS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE TRAIN WAS LEAVING THE STATION AND THE WHITE HOUSE NOT ONLY WAS NOT CONDUCTING BUT THEY WEREN’T EVEN ON BOARD’, Alex Nicholson, executive director of Servicemembers United, an advocacy group for gays in the military, said in an interview with TPMDC. ‘THEY WERE BACKED INTO A CORNER AND IT WAS BLATANTLY OBVIOUS SO THEY FINALLY DECIDED TO GET ON BOARD’.”
EXHIBIT C:
Then, rather than keep his promise to personally fight for the ORIGINAL repeal bill he backed the Pentagon’s demand that it be totally gutted. No less than then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi admitted to reporters in May of last year that Pelosi said THE HOUSE WEAKENED ITS REPEAL LANGUAGE TO MOLLIFY THE WHITE HOUSE. Military leaders REFUSED TO ACCEPT LANGUAGE THAT WOULD BAR DISCRIMINATION [against gays IN the military post repeal] so the clause was dropped.” – “The Huffington Post,” June 3, 2010.
EXHIBIT D:
C-SPAN, December 2010: Two years into his presidency, ONE WEEK prior to the final repeal vote, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin said that OBAMA WAS STILL NOT DOING ENOUGH TO HELP THEM.
YES, he ABSOLUTELY must be reelected, but that need not come at the cost of rewriting
history. Thank you.
El Guapo
I am voting for Obama but he did nothing to get this accomplished. Our military deserve the best. I work as a Flight Attendant and had the honor of flying a member of the Coast Guard down to San Diego for this great event.
s.b.
@Michael Bedwell: have you been waiting to post that? you’re in contempt
mrlbumiller
@Michael Bedwell: BITTER MAN! That is not what this article is about at all. This was about the DOD allowing LGBT members of the Armed Forces march in a Price parade in uniform…. too bad it is a one time deal. This SD Pride was to celebrate a great acheivement in service memebers rights to be and say who they are.
Mark Lewandoske
HM2(FMF)/USN/Ret
Chuy Torres
The person first interviewed is not in the US Navy and should not be wearing that uniform.