In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, President Obama indicated he wanted DADT changed “so that it works well for our military, and for the outstanding gay and lesbian soldiers that are both currently enlisted and would like to enlist.” He’d also preferred that the policy was “changed” sooner than later. Watch.
Change unfortunately is word I am beginning to dislike. Nothing is acceptable short of full repeal of the ban.
Freshman New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, may introduce legislation this week which would place an 18-month moratorium on the discharge of gays and lesbians from the military. Gillibrand is coordinating with fellow Senator Edward Kennedy to grow support for the measure which is being pushed by both Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the Service Members Legal Defense Network (SLDN). From the Daily Beast:
It would be the first time since the implementation of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 1993 that senators are forced to declare their position on the gay ban. A Senate staffer familiar with the matter says Gillibrand may introduce her amendment on Tuesday to the Defense reauthorization bill. If the amendment were to pass, gay-rights leaders expect it would stand a strong chance of being approved by the House and could be signed into law by President Obama, who has expressed his desire for the ban to be lifted. Rep. Patrick Murphy is trying to build support for a bill that has already been introduced in the House that would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Murphy appeared on Rachel Maddow to discuss his new role as lead sponsor of H.R. 1283, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Watch:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lsrn1Xp6qU[/youtube]
As reported earlier this week, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), an Iraq war veteran, announced “Voices of Honor: A Generation Under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,'” a national publicity tour focusing on the damage caused to soldiers and national security by the DADT. The tour is joint effort by Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Servicemembers United and will be headed to several cities over the next several months. From HRC:
“This tour focuses on the voices and stories of the qualified, patriotic gay and lesbian service members who are forced out of the U.S. Armed Services simply because of who they are,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Poll after poll continues to show the vast majority of Americans, including the majority of active members of the Armed Services, support the right of gay and lesbian service members to serve openly and honestly. We must repeal this discriminatory policy and ensure that our military can recruit and retain the best and the brightest troops regardless of their sexual orientation.”
…“‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ clearly isn’t working for our military, and it hurts national security and military readiness at a time when America is fighting in two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA). “My time in Iraq taught me that our military needs the best and the brightest who are willing to serve- and that means all Americans, regardless of their orientation. Discharging brave and talented service members from our armed forces is contrary to the values that our military fights for and that our nation holds dear.”
Clips from the announcement below:
To find out more about the tour visit the Voices of Honor website.
As a part of the multi-pronged effort to overturn DADT, Rep. Murphy has also launched his own site, LetThemServe.com. Be sure to sign the petition there.