Tag Archives: DADT

Think Progress interviewed Rep. Ellen Tauscher about her just-submitted House bill to repeal DADT. TAUSCHER: So, I think that there’s, a lot has happened since 1993 and I think that even though the atmospherics look the same, a brand new president, you know, at a time when the Republicans are critical of whatever he’s doing, I think that what our …

Today Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) will introduce the legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The SLDN wants the bill attached to a DOD funding bill which is expected to be voted on in April. Even as the administration gathers its footing, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network — a group dedicated to changing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy — …

“A story in Sunday’s Boston Globe asserts that the Obama Administration is telling the Pentagon and gay rights activists that “it will have to study the implications for national security and enlist more support in Congress” before trying to overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The sources cited for this information are “people involved in the discussions” — in a word, …

The Obama administration is telling the Pentagon and gay activists that he intends to move slowly on repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and is asking top military brass for an assessment on how the repeal may affect discipline in the ranks. At the Pentagon, officials say they have been told not to expect the administration to seek to lift the …

Over on Change.gov, the Obama transition team does a weekly video Q&A, responding to questions submitted by readers. On Friday, incoming White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs affirmed Barack Obama’s plan to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Via AmericaBlog: Thaddeus asks: “Is the new administration going to get rid of the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy?” Gibbs answers: “Thaddeus, you …

Equal Rep, a grassroots group founded by Join The Impact co-founder Paul Sousa, is calling for support in their bid to get Barack Obama to nominate William White as the first openly gay Secretary of the Navy. In a short amount of time, White has already earned some impressive endorsements. Retired general Hugh Shelton, a former chairman of the Joint …

Former submarine captain Steve Clark Hall is making a documentary about gay and lesbian graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy. One captain in the Marine Corps had to sign the confining orders to send a lesbian to jail, but was so disturbed that the next day the officer, who was also gay, submitted his resignation papers. Another man, from the …

Openly gay William White, currently the CEO of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, is being pitched to Barack Obama’s transition team as the right choice for Secretary of the Navy. Some top retired military leaders and some Democrats in Congress are backing William White, chief operating officer of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, to be the next secretary of the Navy – …

The case for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” moved forward yesterday when a federal court refused an appeal from the Air Force. A federal appeals court refused Thursday to reconsider a ruling that raised doubts about the constitutionality of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for gays in the military, a decision that could give President-elect Barack Obama …

Unhappy news from the Washington Times: President-elect Barack Obama will not move for months, and perhaps not until 2010, to ask Congress to end the military’s decades-old ban on open homosexuals in the ranks, two people who have advised the Obama transition team on this issue say. Repealing the ban was an Obama campaign promise. However, Mr. Obama first wants …

Over 100 high-ranking retired military officers have signed a letter demanding an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the hopes the Barack Obama will make a swift move to repeal the policy. More than 100 retired U.S. military leaders — including the former head of the Naval Academy — have signed a statement calling for an end to the …

John McCain has responded to a list of LGBT-related questions submitted by the Washington Blade. In his responses, McCain speaks fondly of such noted gay figures as former Rep. Jim Kolby (R-AZ), lesbian activists Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, and Mark Bingham, at whose funeral McCain spoke. Unfortunately, the submitted questions do not mention McCain chief of staff Mark Buse, …

Last month both McCain and Obama stated opposition to the decades-long Columbia University ban on on-campus ROTC activities. This weekend Columbia president Lee Bollinger emailed students to affirm that the ban would remain in place as long as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” remains military policy. “Under the current ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy of the Defense Department, openly gay and …

From the GOP’s approved 2008 convention platform: “We consider discrimination based on sex, race, age, religion, creed, disability, or national origin to be immoral.” Who’s missing from that list? Oh, right, we are. The GOP says it right there: discrimination against gays IS NOT IMMORAL. On DADT: Personnel policies The all-volunteer force has been a success. We oppose reinstituting the …

Last night Jon Stewart ripped into the idiots testifying in support of continuing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Special fun was made of Elaine Donnelly of the Center For Military Readiness. Jon Stewart=win.

“As a former Marine and patriotic American, I am deeply disturbed that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is discouraging young patriots from joining the Military at a time when our country needs their service. I am horrified that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” forces trained and ready troops to choose between serving their country and living openly — a choice I myself …

Via Nancy Pelosi’s YouTube channel, here’s freshman Rep. Patrick Murphy’s (D-PA) most excellent grilling of Elaine Donnelly of the anti-gay Center For Military Readiness about her opposition to the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, followed by the testimony of openly gay Iraq veteran Eric Alva, who lost a leg in combat. Chris Johnson live-blogged the hearing on HRC’s BackStory. …

Fifteen years after it was enacted, tomorrow the House Military Personnel Subcommittee will meet to discuss repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Among those scheduled to testify are U.S. Army Major General Vance Coleman (Ret.), U.S. Navy Captain Joan E. Darrah (Ret.), and former Marine Staff Sgt. Eric F. Alva. “This hearing begins a conversation about the national security impact of …