U.S. Senator Gillibrand On Record Against DADT

U.S. Senator Gillibrand will work to repeal DADT:

Last week, I had the honor of meeting a proud graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, NY - Lt. Dan Choi. Lt. Choi came to my office to meet me and discuss how we right the wrong that has occurred in his life and ensure others do not experience the same injustice.

[snip]

I am firmly committed to repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. To that end, I am working closely with Congressman Murphy and Senator Kennedy's offices to develop support for repeal legislation and will be among the original co-sponsors of the bill when it's introduced. In the weeks and months ahead, I plan to work with Lt. Choi to repair the damage that has been done to his career and spare thousands of innocent, brave men and women, from the same injustice.

Full article here.

Bush: Don't Ask, Don't Tell "A Good Policy"

When reporters asked President Bush about the comments made by General Pace calling homosexuality “immoral,” he dodged the initial question saying, “I will not be rendering judgment about individual orientation.” However, he did go on to defend the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy commenting that he believed it is “a good policy.” John McCain also supports the policy.

• According to a GAO report, nearly 800 specialists with critical skills have been fired from the U.S. Military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” including 323 linguists, 55 of whom specialized in Arabic.

• The Urban Institute estimates at least 65,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans [8 of the 10 transgender MTF women that I personally know are former military] are already protecting our homeland. More than 10,000 have been discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” since the policy was implemented in 1993.

• American taxpayers have paid between $250 million and $1.2 billion to investigate, eliminate, and replace qualified, patriotic service members who want to serve their country but can’t because expressing their sexual orientation violates “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

So do you feel safer at night knowing we have 55 fewer people in the military that are experts in Arabic?

For legal advice, check with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
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Don't Ask Don't Tell Under Fire

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, likened homosexuality to adultery and said the military should not condone it by allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces. He was responding to a question about the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.

"I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts," Pace was quoted as saying. "I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way."

And I'm supporting this guy with my tax dollars to protect me? He'd probably just as soon shoot me as protect me.

It is estimated that there are 65,000 gay and lesbian troops now serving in the armed forces. Many of them, including the first wounded soldier in Iraq, are serving in the "war on terror." In a poll of service members, of those who said they were certain that a member of their unit was gay or lesbian, two-thirds did not believe it hurt morale.

Rep. Martin Meehan has introduced legislation to change the ban. Meehan introduced a similar bill in 2005 that eventually attracted 122 co-sponsors, including Republican Chris Shays and Independent Bernard Sanders. John Shalikashvili, the retired Army general who was Joint Chiefs chairman when the policy was adopted, said in January that he has changed his mind on the issue since meeting with gay servicemen. I bet. Funny how things change when you need more warm bodies to send into the meat grinder.

UPDATE: General Pace has expressed regret but hasn't apologized for his remarks.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was "disappointed in the moral judgment" voiced by Pace and the military should consider changing policy on allowing gays to serve in its ranks. "We need patriotic Americans who exist across the board in our population."

Republican Sen. John Warner, a veteran member of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, said through a spokesman: "I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral."
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