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

by smkovalinsky | October 4, 2009 at 07:52 am

171 views | 44 Recommendations | 9 comments

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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albertacowpoke

at 08:28 on October 4th, 2009

Good Post

Roy C

at 09:09 on October 4th, 2009

Obama better deal with the more substantial problems first, though, as in what to do in Afghanistan.

I know many of you think "don't ask, don't tell" is unfair. I remember however being followed around when I was a young man living right off Polk St in SF by gay men. I felt hassled at times. I remember the day a few years later when I had lost the youthful bloom and I got ignored. Walking down Polk St took on another feeling- relief.

Trannies still liked me :), but they have never bothered me like that.

I am not sure how many possible recruits to the military will be lost at the idea of showering with men who are very attracted to you.

I think that that is the problem. Yes, older gay man and older heterosexual men get along fine, but the younger ones, I don't know.

Young men tend to be aggressive in their sexuality and young heterosexual men tend to be defensive about homosexual men's interest in them.

albertacowpoke

at 09:15 on October 4th, 2009

Roy that argument fall in the face of everything I have seen in the Canadian Forces after gays were legalized. The military is a disciplined machine and sexual harassment is sexual harassment whether it is initiated between a man and a woman or man to man. There are rules that govern that type of behaviour.

Gays have been admitted into the Canadian Forces since the early 90s and it hasn't created the problem you speak off. The younger generation seems to be quite comfortable with the issue of gays.

I don't even know if they consider that gays are permitted when making the decision to join the military.

Hugh Askew

at 12:40 on October 4th, 2009

Canada is not the US.

If Obama wants to get foolish, he had best wait till he is out of Iraq, and Afghanistan, otherwise he won't find any one willing to go.

Roy C

at 09:23 on October 4th, 2009

I knew you would say that. I do wonder how this will play in the recruitment world as you sign up to go to war. Do the young Americans willing to sign up for combat have this acceptance thing down?

I suppose we will see.

There have already been problems of gay sexual harassment reported in promotion. Some women's units are essentially run by gay women.

albertacowpoke

at 09:36 on October 4th, 2009

I won.t speak for the US Military, but in Canada we don.'t have male or female units. I didn.t think they had them in the US either, but I could be wrong.

I think acceptance of gays by the younger generation is far more widespread than in the rest of the population.

Spydermonkey

at 11:01 on October 4th, 2009

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.

Roy C

at 11:46 on October 4th, 2009

Many, and gays on the team are not popular. My point is that among the types of young men who are willing to sign up for combat, I don't expect a whole lot of acceptance for homosexuality.

I could be wrong.

My other point would be that Obama better handle the substantial problems a whole lot better before tackling the less substantial problems such as this one.

I saw Sen Birch Bayh, D, on TV this morning. What a great choice that would have been instead of Obama.

Alex09209 (not verified)

at 06:52 on October 5th, 2009

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.