Obama: Don't ask, tell repeal to be down the line

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | October 4, 2009 at 07:52 am
281 views | 44 Recommendations | 3 comments

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Many gays have been disappointed with President Obama's tardiness in taking on the repeal of the Military policy for gays known as "Don't ask,  don't tell." .  This implies that gays serving America in active military duty must do so as closeted persons.


During the campaign many gay activists had hope that Obama if elected would take on the task of repealing the 1993 ruling aggressively,  and have been disappointed  in his slowness. 


President Barack Obama will focus "at the right time" on how to overturn the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military, his national security adviser said Sunday.

"I don't think it's going to be — it's not years, but I think it will be teed up appropriately," James Jones said.

The Democratic-led Congress is considering repealing the 1993 law. Action isn't expected on the issue until early next year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., recently wrote Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked to share their views and recommendations on the contentious policy. In Sept. 24 letters, Reid also asked for a review of the cases of two U.S. officers who were discharged from the military because of their sexuality.

"At a time when we are fighting two wars, I do not believe we can afford to discharge any qualified individual who is willing to serve our country," Reid wrote.

Jones said Obama "has an awful lot on his desk. I know this is an issue that he intends to take on at the appropriate time. And he has already signaled that to the Defense Department. The Defense Department is doing the things it has to do to prepare, but at the right time, I'm sure the president will take it on."

As a candidate, Obama signaled support for repealing the law. To the disappointment of gay-rights supporters, he has yet to made a move since taking office in January. The White House has said it will not stop the military from dismissing gays and lesbians who acknowledge their sexuality.

Last year, 634 members of the military were discharged for being gay, or .045 percent of the active-duty U.S. force, according to an Aug. 14 congressional report.

The largest number of gays who were ousted under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy came in 2001, when 1,227 were discharged, or .089 of the force.

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1
Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

Good Post

1
Spydermonkey

Roy, how many of the new recrutes played football or base ball in high school?

Do you think that gay's don't play football & base ball?  HA get real! of corse they do.

And the repeal of DADT will help stop descrimination in the service, not prompte it. Currently a gay service member would have problems just reporting anything, so how can it be delt with currently? It can't.  As long a DADT is in effect the gay members of the service will suffer in mostly silence, for to complain they MUST come out.

1
Alex09209

You guys dont know anything..yeh you might be older then me..im 20 and a lesbian..but you shouldnt judge gays like that...I play softball ,football ,basketball and soccer and popular..lol ha..in high school everyone is thereselves...theres no such thing as popular..the popular people where actually sought out to be the dumbest kids in the school who didnt do anything,,except maybe drugs. I could kick a straight or a gay persons ass if i wanted to...and im glad Obama is getting into gay rights..id like to be married to my gf of 4 years soon...instead of watching other straight people have a nice happily married life being able to do whatever they want with there rights.. All americans and that includes gays should have equal rights like its stated within the constitution.

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Jon Azpiri
First Flagged at 8:05 AM, Oct 4, 2009 by Jon Azpiri
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