Senate Majority Harry Reid will next week bring up for a vote the Pentagon’s spending bill, which includes DADT’s repeal language, whether his colleagues have a problem with or not. Supposedly. Which is nice, because they’ve got T-2 months to do this thing before the Dems quite possibly lose their majority there, and everybody throws up their hands in astonishment that the party was unable to secure meaningful LGBT rights within the first two years of the Obama administration.
yeas and nays
Sen. Harry Reid Plans 1) DADT Vote, 2) To Look Like a Hero
Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...
We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?
Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated
CJ
Obama, Reid and Pelosi asked for the LGBT vote – and failed to deliver time and time again. Even with repeal, gays and lesbians can still be tossed out of the military.
There is a big lack of true leadership in Washington.
jamison
@CJ: well its assumed that following the repeal someone in the military, (commander in chief?) would take the necessary steps end the ban.
Samuel
What leadership! Anything to keep the token gay community happy! Harry does not have the 60 votes required to move this forward, and has no plans to get them. Hogwash, eyewash – all the same.
AlanReeser
If Harry Reid can’t get this passed with the majority he has and the support of some Republicans, he deserves to lose his election in Nevada. Obama, Reid nor Pelosi ever once put anything forward to at least stop the damn discharges of gays and lesbians.
adam
@CJ: To be fair, Obama has issued a LOT of executive orders, and that’s all that he can do himself. Of course, he could have done one further and stopped DADT temporarily, though that might have hampered legislative action.
I’m mostly annoyed with Congress for not passing ENDA. It probably wouldn’t even be a big news attraction, what’s the risk?
Justin
The “repeal” language will be removed before any “vote.” Repeal is DOA and everyone knows that.
Chuck
If we get the ladies from Maine, they could pass it. I wouldn’t be so quick to denounce Dems. At least they will probably all vote to repeal it. Not voting or switching sides will only help Republicans who will all vote not to repeal.
Slow action is better than what we’d get from conservatives who not only would not act for us in any way but would actively enact ANTI gay legislation since other than Muslims, we’re still their goto scapegoat for everything from the economy to hurricanes in New Orleans.
CJ
Obama has issued a LOT of LGBT friendly Executive Orders? Give me a break. Executive Orders don’t change DADT or DOMA – and don’t do anything to get ENDA, UAFA or other LGBT legislation (aka laws) passed.
Time to repeal Obama, Reid and Pelosi. They take our money – and want our votes. The only thing in return – words and promises. Besides, when confronted about this they blame Republicans. Really? When Republicans were in charge they seemed to get a lot of their laws passed. When Democrats are in charge, LGBT rights are forgotten.
Billy
Politicians = Whores. They only want to be on the popular side of things. This is why change is so slow, people cannot demand change fast enough for these criminals to answer to.
jason
Rumor has it that Obama doesn’t want to repeal DADT in case it offends Moslems in countries in which American troops are now serving. This is something I’ve heard on the grapevine….
tjr101
@jason: I’ve also heard Obama is a Muslim born in Kenya through the grapevine…
It will be interesting to see how that joker Scott Brown votes on this, I’m confident about the two Maine senators but not the asshat from MA.
reason
The defense appropriations bill will only need 51 votes and the VP can be the tie breaker. There is a higher bar to get the DADT language removed. Even if it were not this way, the notion that Reid should be held responsible for the inability to get GOP votes is ludicrous. If you don’t know by now the GOP’s plan is to stop and undue Obama and the Democrats no matter what the cost, and holding Reid responsible for that is playing right into their hands. The republican base does whatever they can to build up their party while the democrat base does everything in their power to tear theirs down. Finally for the millionth time DADT could not be halted with an executive order if you want me to post the documentation again I will happily oblige. I take it that happy days are coming for a lot of people on this site as a new republican revolution will be here in November and we know how much they love GBLT.
Brutus
(1) What counts as “meaningful LGBT rights?”
(2) “The party” includes people like Blanche Lincoln and the Blue Dog Democrats because the country as a whole has tilted so far to the right that these are the only people we can get elected in states outside what you might call the “traditionally Democratic states” of the past 30 years. Those “traditionally democratic states” aren’t enough by themselves to create a majority. The median voter wins; that’s how a legislature works. If you want to make progress, you have to change the median, and that means changing the entire spectrum.
Justin
It’s filibustered according to John McCain. It will be removed from the Bill.
Justin
And Harry Reid is about to lose his job. No loss, he’s an idiot.
Queer Supremacist
@Justin: One less Mormon in power. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
damon459
Wow you guy’s bitched about Bush now you Bitch about Obama did you think he was going to get elected and wave a wand on all gay issues? You do know the economy is in the tank and the Senate and Congress are a mess? He’s not a King he can’t force the Senate and Congress to do anything they feel may cost them the election. The majority of the country is more concerned with Jobs and taxes. I’m disappointed things haven’t happened overnight but I knew when he was elected he had a big mess to clean up things take time. You want to vote him and the dems out fine I’ll be here to remind you when the GOP takes over and does even less or worse reverses what has been done.
Derek Washington
What a bunch of schmucks. Reid is making good on a promise he personally made to myself and Dan Choi last year. And for that his religion and his party are slandered?
What would you bunch do with Sharron Angle and Michelle Bachman running things?