Tomorrow Pentagon officials will announce they’re giving each of the country’s four military branches some three months to prepare for the final, certified repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, where gays will be able to serve openly without risk of being discharged (though not without risk of being discriminated against; the military has no policy banning it). Troops will be taught how to handle new personnel and recruiting procedures, like whether partners of gay troops will receive health benefits (doubtful?) or be able to live on base (maybe?). “According to officials,” the AP reports, “the training will be broken into three categories. One will be for administrators and other leaders who will have to be able to answer detailed questions about the new policy. The second will be for senior commanders who will have to enforce the policies and also be on the lookout for signs of unease or problems among service members. The third group will be the general training for the troops. That is the one that is expected to be the most difficult to complete because service members are scattered around the world, and many are in various phases of deployment to war or heading home.” And it’s not like the Pentagon can just send a Some eCard to these folks and tell ’em to stop being scared of the Gays. Once Obama and Gates and Mullen certify repeal, the law dies sixty days later. And you can all start letting your wrists go limp, yahoo!
kayla
Just the news to get my day off to a good start….Now if only my stupid exam was postponed…..oh the humanity!!
kayla
…As for the drag show thing….Isn’t that practically a military tradition…..?
Mike in London UK
.. so its 3 months until the US Marine Corps collapses as 3/4 of its staff go off to do gay pron shoots?
{tounge firmly in cheek}
whatever
wait, weren’t the queertard editors and sundry Obama haters saying this certification was going to take years, not months?
kayla
@Mike in London UK: Umm…you can’t spell “tongue”….just saying…
Dan
@kayla: Yes, especially in the Navy.
It’s quite a party for one crossing the Equator for the first time!
Been there, done that. Makes a fraternity party look tame.
NY152
It will be interesting to see how they handle the benefits, housing, and other many issues that will surface with this repeal! It’s going to break ground for equality across the board – you wait and see!!
the crustybastard
Of course gay servicemembers won’t earn equal benefits.
The military won’t recognize same-sex marriages. Therefore, it will deny servicemember’s partners and nonbiological children equal benefits including housing, healthcare, pensions and survivor benefits, etc.
This is all allowed by Lieberman’s “repeal” law, and consistent with President Obama’s administration’s policies.
All this legislative “repeal” means is that a servicemember will not be discharged merely for being known to be lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Basically, you can bring your partner to the dance and you won’t get fired for it. Oh, and you can put your gay partner as your “emergency contact.”
Equal? No way.
Not under Obama. He’s a “separate-but-equal” kind of guy.
Vietnam
This is not going to be a big issue. Any straight serviceman or servicewoman already knows who is gay and who is straight-with rare exception.
I spent 22 years in the military-and I always got along. Why? Because I knew that the world was largely straight but I was not. I knew when, who, and where, and did not engage on the base and in uniform. Most guys do not really care, and will ususally be affectionate to you as long as you don’t shove it in their faces. It also helps if you are a beauty…which I was and continue to be.
All the repeal does is relax the atmosphere a bit more…You can be a gay man or a gay woman within any branches as long as you understand the rules and you abide by them. The few who give you crap, you stand up the very first time, and you nip it in the bud.
All will benefit once the media dies down and you go to the bathroom. Everyone is equal in the bathroom and it is the reality of it all: we all do the same things and we all have the same needs.
divkid
@Vietnam: you *sound* a “beauty”, i’m sure i’d have no problem standing to attention for you.
at ease, soldier. 😛
B
No. 8 · the crustybastard wrote, “Of course gay servicemembers won’t earn equal benefits. … Equal? No way. Not under Obama. He’s a “separate-but-equal” kind of guy.”
It’s more like he is a “follow the law” kind of guy who is trying to give gays equal rights as far as the current law allows (and would obviously like the laws that prohibit equal treatment to be fixed).
Example: http://luckybogey.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/benefits-to-same-sex-domestic-partners-of-federal-employees/ (attributed to John Berry, Director, United States Office of Personnel Management) : “In a June 17, 2009 Memorandum regarding Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination, President Obama observed that “millions of hard-working, dedicated, and patriotic public servants are employed by the Federal Government as part of the civilian workforce, and many of these devoted Americans have same-sex domestic partners.” He further noted that although “[l]eading companies in the private sector are free to provide to same-sex domestic partners the same benefits they provide to married people of the opposite sex,” Federal departments and agencies may only do so where authorized by law. The President thus instructed heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) to review the benefits they offer to determine whether any could be extended to the same-sex domestic partners of their employees under current law and to report the results of their review to OPM within 90 days. OPM received the agency reports and, in consultation with the Department of Justice, submitted a report to the President recommending that all of the benefits identified by agencies be extended in order to attain greater equality for the Federal workforce and to assist the Federal Government in competing with the private sector for the best and brightest employees.Subsequently, in a memorandum dated June 2, 2010, President Obama directed agencies to extend a host of benefits to their employees’ same-sex domestic partners as permitted by law. He also directed me to issue guidance to ensure consistent and appropriate implementation of his memorandum.”
Brandon
@whatever: Yeah I know…this site is a joke so it’s understandable
Meowzer
One if by land, two if by semen.
I can hear Paula Revere now…. the faggots are coming, the faggots are coming. The military is going to catch gay!
the crustybastard
@B:
Obama’s a “follow the law” kind of guy AS LONG AS the law discriminates against gay citizens.
When the law comes in the form of a federal judge’s court order or ruling requiring the government treat certain gay individuals, or gay people as a class, equally — well, Obama will either ignore or challenge THAT law.
Barack Obama has admitted that his opinion that gay citizens have no right to civil marriage is informed by his Christian beliefs. He is, however, okay with “civil unions.” To exclude an entire class of people from enjoying their fundamental rights and categorically excluding them from attaining the specially favored legal status of “spouse” does indeed make him a “separate but equal” kind of guy.
He is comfortable with a substantial amount of antigay discrimination at the state and federal level. His objection is apparently with the manner in which that discrimination is implemented.
Zach
@the crustybastard:
Barack Obama isn’t dictator-for-life of the United States.
It’s perfectly legitimate to go after the executive for their own actions, but Obama is not politically or morally responsible for every negative thing that happens to gays at any level in the United States. He could do a hell of a lot more, but he’s not accountable for Republican bigots in Iowa, Wyoming, or Montana.
the crustybastard
@Zach:
[img]http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/2030/955689-lol_wut_pear_thumb.jpg[/img]
whatever
@the crustybastard: “All this legislative “repeal” means is that a servicemember will not be discharged merely for being known to be lesbian, gay, or bisexual.”
As Joe Biden would say, this is big fucking deal.
Sexy Rexy
Discrimination will be illegal, will it not? There is no separate law for hate crimes against any particular racial/ethnic/gender group, but most likely any crimes committed against a LGB member of the Armed Forces, will fall under the Uniform Code of Military Justices General Articles, as well as the articles for assault or murder/manslaughter, if those things happen.
declanto
OMG I can’t believe all the whining when we’ve just gotten the BIGGEST boost ever as far as equality is concerned! All you queers out there in Ever-So-Everland need to get real and see this for what it is, A HUGE LEAP FORWARD!
Danny
Well if Alexander the Great, Hannibal Barca, and other ancient forces could handle gay/bi/straight mixed troops then no doubt modern troops who are professional should have no problem.
If you are charged with operating million-dollar planes, tanks, battleships, submarines, nuclear weapons, etc., then handling this – one would hope – would be simple.
DeGuyz in Mississippi
It’s no secret that the best of the best in any field come from LGBT. Best doctors,lawyers,designers,artists, etc. The best person to have watching your back in a life and death situation would be…Who else?
DeGuyz in Mississippi
Y’all will not know how to act when one day a guy walks out on the White House lawn and waves, then tells the country that it won’t be business as usual anymore. Between us, you will be able to thank the State of Mississippi. Their level of uncontrollable hate will open the door and make this a reality. Nothing surprises me anymore.
the crustybastard
@whatever: “As Joe Biden would say, this is big fucking deal.”
I think a “big fucking deal” would be legislation recognizing that LGBT people are indeed people as contemplated by the Fourteenth Amendment. However, if you and Grinnin’ Joe insist on getting super-duper excited about nibbling around the margins, you’re certainly welcome to.
@declanto:
Anyone who disagrees with your position of 100% satisfaction is whining? GFY. Get a grip, and get some perspective while you’re at it. This is hardly “the the BIGGEST boost ever as far as equality is concerned.” Good lord, there’s practically a guarantee that gay servicemembers will continue to be denied the privileges and benefits granted to heterosexual servicemembers. If you can imagine that’s in some way “equality” you have a pretty poor grasp of the concept.
@Sexy Rexy:
No, discrimination will NOT be illegal. The Obama-backed Lieberman bill didn’t contain an anti-discrimination clause. Lieberman’s Senate repeal bill was substituted for the House repeal bill, which did contain an anti-discrimination clause.
Shannon1981
That bill should have included a non discrimination clause, no doubt. They’ll do the bare minimum, and only that because they have been forced to. That is the reality of it. Is it better than nothing? Yes, it is. And I applaud them for making the implementation swift. However, until the EXACT SAME BENEFITS are awarded to LGBT servicewomen and servicemen as their heterosexual counterparts, there is still a problem.
Jeffree
@Shannon1981:
DADT didn’t cover Trans issues, so repealing DADT doesn’t change anything re: T people. That issue definitely needs to be addressed by the military, but separately, because those issues are covered in a whole other group of regulations.
I’ve heard/ seen several excellent speeches by Trans vets, and I am hoping that they will see positive changes in how active/retired Trans people are treated.