Gays in the military | SLDN sponsoring march on the White House Saturday - Atlanta Gay Issues

The gay marriage battle is far from over, though the gay community is making progress, state by state. There are numerous proposed reforms being discussed, debated and legislated across the country. The issue gaining the most traction, in terms of widespread support, is the elimination of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in the military. Even conservatives have changed their tune in recent months.

Obama’s reticence to support gay issues has frustrated gay activists. His actions have fallen short of the promises made on the campaign trail. His reluctance has been attributed to the potential political fallout associated with supporting gay issues. President Clinton’s attempt to ease the ban on gay marriage in 1993 caused political fallout for Democratic lawmakers that year. With midterm elections coming up, a recession, two wars and official unemployment statistics nearing double digits, the Obama administration is unlikely to engage in contentious issues that could jeopardize political support for other initiatives. The political reality is a long way from the idealistic promises of the campaign trail.

The lack of support for civil rights on behalf of gay taxpayers is disappointing, but it isn’t surprising. Politicians want to get re-elected. However, public sentiment seems to be way ahead of public policy when it comes to the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy in the military. The Washington Post/ABC News conducted a poll last summer, citing “75% of Americans said gay people who are open about their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military, up from 62 percent in early 2001 and 44 percent in 1993.” That is a dramatic shift in public perception. If those numbers are correct, then many people who oppose gay marriage support gays in the military. It is hard to justify discharging competent members of the armed services when we are involved in two wars. It is hard to reconcile ‘supporting our troops’ with dismissing individuals for no reason other than being open about sexual orientation.

This concept that it is easy to keep your sexual identity a secret is naïve. Soldiers talk to one another about boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives and kids frequently when they are stationed thousands of miles away from home. They rely on each other for mental, emotional and physical support. They form strong bonds with other members of their units. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is an order from the military and the government to lie. Lie to your comrades. Lie to your commanding officer. Lie to your friends. Be proud to serve, stand strong in the face of adversity and lie, lie, lie to keep your job.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

(SLDN) is a non-partisan, non-profit, legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT). They will be commemorating the 40^th anniversary of the Stonewall riots by leading a march of 265 veterans, service members and supporters to the White House 2 p.m. Saturday, June 27, to urge President Obama to break his continued silence on repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The 265 marchers represent the number of service members discharged this week since the President and the new Congress were sworn in.
"‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' underscores that discrimination against gays and lesbians continues 40 years after the Stonewall riots, and reminds us that many challenges remain in the fight for full equality," said Aubrey Sarvis, SLDN Executive Director. "Like those who stood up for freedom at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, we will stand up for the freedom to serve. We need to tell President Obama that 265 is enough."

The Center for American Progress (CAP) has issued a five-step plan for repealing "don't ask, don't tell" that begins with an executive order suspending gay discharges.

According to the report, "President Obama should issue an order prohibiting the Secretary of Defense... from establishing, implementing, or applying any personnel or administrative policies, or taking a personnel or administrative action, in whole or part on the basis of sexual orientation." The report says that this would "include banning further dismissals on the basis of DADT." The legal basis for issuing such an order derives from the president's "stop-loss" authority.

Other organizations demanding that Obama issue an executive order include the Human Rights Campaign and Knights Out, an organization of West Point graduates co-founded by Lt. Dan Choi, the Arabic translator about to be discharged because he's gay.

The Palm Center is a research institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The Center uses social science to inform public discussions on controversial social issues, enabling policy outcomes to be informed more by evidence than by emotion. Its data-driven approach is premised on the notion that the public makes wise choices on social issues when high-quality information is available.

The idea of ending the ban by executive order gained momentum after the Palm Center released a study last month showing that the president has the authority to suspend "don't ask, don't tell" with the stroke of a pen. Before that, many argued that only Congress or the courts could lift the ban on service by openly gay troops.

Seventy-seven members of Congress urged Obama to issue a moratorium, suspending gay discharges from the military. The White House responded to the Congressional letter by reiterating the President's commitment to legislative repeal at some future point rather than an immediate administrative suspension.

The irony is that the President is hosting an event at the White House with gay activists on Monday to celebrate the anniversary of Stonewall. Gay activists have been very critical, as Obama remains silent amidst a steady onslaught of court and legislative appeals. It should make for lively cocktail conversation. When he says he intends to pursue a legislative appeal in the future, I wonder how he defines ‘future.’ When will that be? Can we get a general timeframe?

At this juncture, I hope he has a well crafted speech prepared, laying out his plan of action on gay issues. Obama’s laissez-faire approach to ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ and reluctance to take a stand on gay marriage is rapidly eroding support from the gay community. With so many legal cases making their way through the judicial and legislative branches, activists are looking to Obama for more than rhetoric.

The battle for gay rights is being fought on several fronts: marriage, adoption, immigration, workplace and military. There is no doubt in my mind that sustained effort will decrease social exclusion and discrimination in many areas, because progress has already been made. It wasn’t as difficult for me to ‘come out’ as it was for generations prior to me. I hope that ongoing effort to gain legal recognition and acceptance will pave the way for future generations. Society does not change overnight, but it has changed dramatically over the last 50 years.

E: meanderingmuse@comcast.net

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