It was a good day for gay rights as the bill to repeal DADT moved forward, despite intense opposition from hate-filled Republicans.
The U.S. House and a Senate committee approved amendments to a military bill Thursday that would repeal the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy barring openly gay and lesbian soldiers from military service, but only after some conditions are met.
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 16-12 to approve compromise language on the repeal in an amendment to the military policy bill. The panel then voted 18-10 to send the bill to the full Senate.
In the House, the chamber voted 234-194 to add the amendment to its version of the defense policy bill. A final vote on the full bill was expected Friday.
President Obama praised the votes.
"I am pleased that both the House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee took important bipartisan steps toward repeal tonight," Obama said in a statement. "This legislation will help make our Armed Forces even stronger and more inclusive by allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve honestly and with integrity."
The Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, called it the first time since the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy came into effect during the Clinton administration that any congressional body voted to repeal it.
"This is the beginning of the end of a shameful ban on open service by lesbian and gay troops that has weakened our national security," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
The Senate committee’s vote on the amendment was mostly partisan, with 15 Democrats and one Republican — Sen. Susan Collins of Maine — supporting the compromise repeal language. The House vote also was along largely partisan lines, with 229 Democrats and five Republicans supporting the repeal amendment, while 168 Republicans and 26 Democrats opposed it… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <CNN>
I don’t yet know who the shameful Democrats are who opposed this. When I know, so will you. The GOP opposition was ugly.
…In an orchestrated manner, almost every single House Republican took to the floor to condemn the proposal, misrepresenting it as an immediate repeal that does not allow the Defense Department to complete its study. In the midst of considering other amendments, Republicans turned the discussion into an opportunity to condemn gays in the military:
REP. LOUIE GOHMERT (R-TX): “If someone has to be overt about their sexuality, whether it’s in a bunker where they’re confined under fire, then it’s a problem. And that’s what repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell does. It says, ‘I have to be overt, I don’t care. I want this to be a social experiment.”
REP: TODD AKIN (R-MI): “So are we then going to then protect and condone homosexuality in the military?…Is this the sort of thing that George Washington or our founders would be proud of, that we are doing today in this quick flash before Memorial Day?”
REP. TRENT FRANKS (R-AZ): “We’re going to say, ‘No. We don’t care what you say. You can die for us on the battlefield, but you have no input into this process.’ That’s a disgrace to this institution and it’s an insult to the men and women who pour out their blood on foreign battlefields for the country that we all love so much.”
Watch a compilation:
In the Senate, Armed Services Republicans threatened to filibuster the defense authorization bill “if it comes to the floor with Democrat-backed language repealing DADT.” “I’ll do everything in my power,” Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said. “I’m going to do everything I can to support the men and women of the military and to fight what is clearly a political agenda.” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) agreed, promising to support a filibuster “if the repeal language makes it into the version of the bill that goes to the floor, most likely after the Memorial Day recess.”… [emphasis original]
Inserted from <Think Progress>
What hypocrites they are!
One person who was truly excited by these developments is Rachel Maddow. Here’s her say.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Do you believe John “McConJob” McCain?
I look forward to the day when all Americans can serve openly and with pride.
19 Responses to “DADT: The Beginning of the End”
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It has actually depleted the intelligence of the modern military to loose so many soldiers, sailors, etc. over this… major intelligence officer reduction. Did anyone know that? I’m wondering…
McCain has lost his friggin mind. He chucked aside his integrity during the campaign against Bush and then dipped to new lows with Obama and now is just spiraling to hang on to the tatters of his ‘political’ life. Funny thing is; his daughter seems to have picked up the wreckage of integrity and dusting it off… shinning it up. She has her golden moments of real politic. Just sayin…
Ta TC for the post!
🙂
Gwen, I agree. For some reason, many gay soldiers learned to speak middle eastern languages, making them extremely valuable for intelligence work.
The second McConJob ran for the Presidency, his integrity flew the coop. Once upon a time, I used to respect the man.
As always we are behind the rest of the World when it comes to issues such as this. Let’s hope gays can not only serve their country in any capacity they chose but can do it without being singled out as the gay one.
Just a note about Crash McCain, I’m not one of those people who have for years put him on a pedestal. I’ve never liked McCain. He has been the willow of the Senate since I can remember. I’m grateful to ALL our vets, even John but that doesn’t make him a great Senator.
Later
Tim, I share your hope. Everyone deserves equal consideration.
Ditto to what’s been said. McCain has never had integrity – it’s not in his vocabulary. Now he’s moving so far to the right he’s about to fall off the cliff. We can only hope.
Gohmert’s such an awesome example of douchebaggery.
“Sarge! We’re pinned down, their barrage is nonstop!”
“Listen to the man, Sarge! What are we going to do?”
“Relax, Privates, I’m a homosexual.”
“Permission to speak freely, sir.”
“Permission granted.”
“This isn’t the time for social experimentation!”
LOL Randal! Very well said!
Flying by to say hi back Tom. Very busy.
Hi Monique. 🙂
It’s about time we finally got rid of DADT. I can’t believe all the hissyfitting and doomsaying by Republicans and their Biblehumping donors. Well, yes I can.
Tom, I’d be shocked if they were not in panic mode.
The Dems who voted “No” were
Berry
Bishop
Boucher
Childers
Critz
Davis
Donnelly
Edwards
Etheridge
Green (Gene)
Lipinski
Marshall
McIntyre
Oritz
Peterson
Palmeroy
Rahall
Ross
Shuler
Skelton
Spratt
Tanner
Taylor
Source (and you may want to double check my head count):
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll317.xml
Thanks, Nameless. I hope they all have primary challenges.
Gohmert is an asshole – what a disgusting display of douchebaggery. Someone should hit him upside the head with a bat and knock some sense into him.
As for the rest of the Repubs, half of them are probably gay and to threaten a filibuster of such a non-issue (at least it should be) for gays to serve openly is disgusting.
McCain is clearly senile and has lost his mind. I’m glad he’s fighting for his political life in AZ. Hopefully he will be elected OUT.
Amen to all, Lisa.
That is a deep picture and caption! You know three of my sons are career military and they could care less about someone elses sexual orientation only that they come through when needed.
Thanks Jim. The picture is generic, but the caption is original.
It’s not commonly mentioned that the gay rights movement and the military are inextricably linked. During WWII, a huge contingent of gay men and women volunteered and served nobly, not only out of patriotic duty, but also as a means of escaping small-town closets and fear.
This was an acknowledged fact among the brass and troops, all of whom were grateful for the added manpower and talent. (The euphemism “friend of Dorothy”–alluding to “The Wizard of Oz”–was coined to identify gay soldiers without disparaging them.) As it turned out, just as there allegedly are no atheists in foxholes, no homophobes prowled the trenches, either. Then, once the War ended, the gay vets settled in major cities, collecting in places like the Village and Castro, where the movement took shape.
I mention this only because a significant gay thread runs through America’s military heritage, particularly “The Greatest Generation,” as well as its impact on shaping our current culture outside the military. And for gay folks, denying us the right to serve our nation openly goes beyond equal rights. It’s a painful slap of ingratitude for the contributions our predecessors made to America’s finest hour. In our view, opposition to GLBT military inclusion is the height of unpatriotic behavior. If anything, it exemplifies the very thing we fought in WWII–Fascism.
PS to Todd Akin: I heartily recommend he acquaint himself with the Declaration of Independence and the Founding Fathers’ “self-evident truths.”
Thanks S-F Tim. I was complketely unaware of the connection or the contribution by gay Americans to the nation in WWII. Great insight! Sadly, among right-wingers the Declaration of Independence might as well be renamed the Decoration of Independence.