Former Army Secretary Clifford Alexander weighs in on the policy President Obama is backing out on repealing. “When we have people who are asked to risk their lives, asked to provide certain services for this county, … and we tell them that because of their sexual preference, ‘Don’t tell us if it’s a certain sexual preference,’ that runs against any democratic principle that we can think of. And the no-necks who keep pushing this policy really do need to have it changed. Not studied, not long hearings, but changed. And I do think it needs legislation.”
Alexander also says that if an executive action on Obama’s part was possible to stop the effects of DADT (while waiting for Congress to official repeal the policy), then the president should do it. Well, a new study says Obama absolutely does have “stroke of a pen” power to force the armed services to immediately stop investigating and discharged gay suspects. Obama’s power is three-pronged: 1) Under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, “the President may suspend any provision of law relating to promotion, retirement, or separation applicable to any member of the armed forces who the President determines is essential to the national security of the United States [during a] period of national emergency [defined as when ‘members of a reserve component are serving involuntarily on active duty’]”; 2) DADT gives the secretary of defense the power to determine how the policy is executed; 3) a DADT dismissal must be made “if” someone is found out to be gay, but nowhere does the policy state anyone has to identify gay service members.
So all this business about having to study the issue? And Obama’s handwritten letter to Second Lt. Sandy Tsao saying “it will take some time to complete (partly because it needs Congressional action) I intend to fulfill my commitment”? Bullshit. No wonder it’s safe to assume Obama won’t repeal DADT.
afrolito
Here we go again…
Queerty needs stuff to write about what Obama is doing wrong, so I hope he never puts an end to DADT….at least until his month in office.
afrolito
*last month in office*.
The Gay Numbers
I skimmed through the video. I agree with the moral points Alexander makes. Obama places himself on the wrong side of history with this. It’s very sad.
jamesjames
@afrolito: This dialogue highlights McCain and “white house” hypocrisy, which as it turns out, are identical. She wouldn’t even say Baracks name because she is a lapdog who got famous for supporting Barack Obama. She is a phony sellout disgrace.
If you would like everyone to pretend that your Messiah is not a bigot, becasue you need a Messiah, then go over to Huffpo and NYT, you’ll hear plenty of lies about how masterful your Messiah is and you can pray to Barack there and everyone will agree with you.
This is the illness of BO supporters is they want to force BO on everyone. Even people who are smart enough to know he’s full of shit. I just don’t understand why don’t these Obots go and worshp with the rest of the followers?
Most people have woken up to Bark’s bigotted homophobic hypocrisy and are starting to put the pressure on this administration.
afrolito
@jamesjames:
Blah blah blah….zzzzz
The tired rhetoric of the haters who didn’t want him in office from day one. President Obama has barely been in office 110 days, and he’s expected to right the wrongs of gay discrimination with the sweep of a pen?….never mind the economic crisis, unemployment,two wars,and a failed health care system. Those issues pale, when gays can’t kill civilians openly in bogus foreign wars, like the hetero heroes.
Wayne
It was Obama who made repeated promises to end DADT. He should keep his word. Anything else is a betrayal.
InExile
Promising repeal of DADT to the Gay community on one hand, and courting Rick Warren and other Christians at the same time. Now we have silence on all gay issues except for a joke at the White House correspondence dinner. Will we have to wait for Hillary in 2016 to make progress on civil rights?
mick
It’s funny how this site says Obama is not doing enough when everyone else is thinking he is doing to much….Also Obama never said he would end DADT in his first 100 days or even his first year.
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
“Obama never said he would end DADT in his first 100 days or even his first year.” You might try arming yourself with the facts, Mick, before firing.
“As President, I will work with Congress and place the weight of my administration behind enactment of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which will make nondiscrimination the official policy of the U.S. military. That work should have started long ago. IT WILL START WHEN I TAKE OFFICE. America is ready to get rid of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. All that is required is leadership.” – BARACK OBAMA, November 2007.
[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/2519140395_dac0f64365.jpg?v=0[/img]
Oaklander
@afrolito: Go look at the pretty pics of the pretty boys. That you aren’t worried about gay rights is not a good reason for the rest of pare down our concerns to just getting laid and looking good doing it. If anything, apathetic fags like you are the reason us real gay men have to work all the harder.
dgz
okay, non-sequitor: can someone tell me what a “no-neck” is, or what “who struck john” refers to? seriously, he lost me there. great guy, though.
alejandro
blah blah blah blah blah!!!!! IF AMERICANS HAD JOHN MCCAIN WE’D BE EVEN MORE FUCKED SO SUCK IT UP AND ENJOY OBAMA’S PRESIDENCY!!!!!!
Patrick
Clinton started DADT, not OBAMA. and I did not see any Clinton hate then ! DADT= CLINTON, everybody knows that
Oaklander
@Patrick: DUH. DADT was an improvement. 15 years ago. Time for the next stage of evolution.
Michael @ LeonardMaltovich.com
We’re genuinely sorry to have to interrupt your broadcast of ignorance with facts, Patrick, but Clinton didn’t “start” DADT which is nothing more than the statutory version of antigay military policies that go back over 60 years to World War II…old wine in new bottles with a catchy label. Lts. Choi and Tsao are but the latest victims we KNOW about in a virtual “body count” of over 100,000.
And while you might be too young or too unread to remember the condemnation of Clinton in 1993 for his failed attempt to get rid of the ban, only someone in a coma could have missed his demonization the last two years as a side effect of the Guilty by Marriage demonization of Sen. Clinton.
Because of its enforcement of government-approved bigotry for over half a century, President Obama’s driving its final elimination would be an even greater historical achievement than most people stop to think.
[img]http://www.leonardmatlovich.com/images/300_Medal72.jpg[/img]
– Purple Heart winner Leonard Matlovich, discharged for being gay in 1975.
Dennis
Uh, just to point out, as I understand it, Executive Orders are not all that difficult to reverse or rescind, if (God forbid) a repub or evengelical wins in 2012/2016/2020….
WE need an end to DADT that is more permanent!!! Bringing Congress in to make a more “solid solution” takes time, but will be of much greater long-term benefit. I hate DADT too, but don’t want to be afraid for it’s revival (or worse!) if the pendulum swings the other way in future Presidential elections.