http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/09/judge-declares-dont-ask-dont-tell-unconstitutional/?icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk1%7C169616

Quote :

"A federal judge in California ruled Thursday that the law that forbids openly gay people from serving in the military is unconstitutional"

Quote :

"The case was filed by the Log Cabin Republicans, the largest political organization for gays in the GOP, in 2004. "

Quote :

""Don't ask, don't tell," instituted during the Clinton administration, forbids the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members but requires those who are openly gay to be discharged."

Quote :

"President Barack Obama has said he would work to do away with the controversial policy."

9/10/2010 10:40:45 AM

ehe. if true, it's lols

9/10/2010 10:47:47 AM

Norrin Radd = Supplanter exposed ITT!?!??!?

9/10/2010 10:49:00 AM

wow, reading an article on the ruling, the described logic is specious at best. Doesn't seem like it will hold. The interesting question is what will Obama do, lol.

9/10/2010 10:51:00 AM

too late to edit.

After reading the text of the ruling, it's a bit different than the article makes it out to be. But, it does show some problems that were rightly brought up by the Scalia dissent to the Lawrence vs Texas ruling by the Supreme Court.

9/10/2010 11:27:04 AM

It's going to be amusing to see how the Republican Party in general will react to this. Will they stand by the LCR (for the first time I can think of) or will they condemn the LCRs' actions.

I haven't really been watching this morning, what's the general reaction been?

[And how do you show possessive with LCR? R=Republicans so should it be written LCR' or LCRs' or LCR's? Serious tangent question.]

9/10/2010 1:05:11 PM

^ I'll address your "tangent question." It would be best to recast the sentence so as not to have an initialism as a possessive--but I, too, sometimes do it in informal communications simply for convenience.

Go with LCRs' to show possession. Do not follow the old convention of adding an apostrophe and an s to form a plural element--because it all too often doesn't work! Just try the "old" way with dos and don'ts. Would you write do's and don't's? (It looks ridiculous!) Or how about do's and don'ts, as I have seen in some well-known publications? Be consistent!

So, simply add an s to form the plural of an initialism and then an apostrophe after it to show possession. And remember that when we form intialisms, they take on a life of their own--whether they were plural or how they were pronounced in their original state is a separate issue (think OSHA or WMDs, for example).

BTW, please don't write a decade as the 70's, for example. Simply write it as the '70s. The use of the apostrophe shows omission of the first two numbers and the s shows that it is plural. You would not, however, want to use it as a possessive. Recast!

9/10/2010 6:11:12 PM

Way to go LCR!

One minor note. This doesn't end DADT in the same sense that the MA ruling on DOMA being unconstitutional didn't end DOMA. The appeals, assuming they are unsuccessful, could hold this up for years until long after the legislature has repealed it.

The good things are this will put more pressure on the President to back up his words with action, and on the GOP who have threatened to filibuster the entire defense authorization bill over its inclusion of the dadt repeal language.

With the executive branch saying they want DADT gone (but not taking executive action beyond speeches & saying he'll sign legislation into law), the legislative branch getting ready to vote on repealing it (having already passed the crucial committee vote), and the judicial branch calling it unconstitutional (with possible appeals pending)... its end is definitely in sight and its only a matter of who gets there first.

9/10/2010 6:13:58 PM

"with all deliberate speed"

This will never be enforced because no politicians support gays. Republicans use the promise of military strength to get elected time and time again, Democrats use the promise of civil rights.

[Edited on September 12, 2010 at 10:23 PM. Reason : ]

9/12/2010 9:54:53 PM

adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the Federal hate-crime statutes was more than just a promise; it's now the law: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard_and_James_Byrd,_Jr._Hate_Crimes_Prevention_Act

9/12/2010 11:06:04 PM

Yawn. They know hate crime legislation will be eliminated soon anyway.

9/12/2010 11:14:52 PM

wait why

seriously, you know that'll just make it more evident that the Rethugs are hate-mongers at heart, leading to a new Democratic wave in the next election

9/12/2010 11:20:00 PM

It will be eliminated because it is bad law and thoughtcrime, impossible to implement fairly, and I believe, despite all evidence to the contrary, that our generation, faggots and all, is smart enough to see hate crime statutes as illogical, counterproductive and worst, unable to really protect minorities.

The gays are Democrat pawns just like the blacks and the youth. Expect no significant change from them. In fact you might have better luck keeping the government out of the bedroom with the Tea Party, if their libertarian rhetoric is to be believed.

9/12/2010 11:27:05 PM

hate crimes are acts of terrorism against the targeted groups, not merely against the individuals, and it makes perfect sense to punish them more harshly

seriously, after Matthew Shepard died, gay teens all across the nation tried to go back into the closet

9/12/2010 11:53:07 PM

Murder is murder, assault is assault. You really think the people that bash gay skulls will reconsider their actions based on how their case it tried? If the fucking death penalty fails as a deterrent, why wouldn't hate crime laws?

9/12/2010 11:56:10 PM

in the bad old days, local law enforcement would actually look the other way when the victim of a beating or murder was "one o' them niggerjewfaggots"

federal hate-crime laws ensure that the victims will receive justice

9/13/2010 12:07:19 AM

^^ that's a very simplistic and naive thought process.

Why do we have different degrees of murder (and pretty much every other crime) if "murder is just murder"?

A hate crime is really 2 crimes. It's the assault/murder/whatever and it's the attempt to threaten an entire group of people. Just like it's illegal to threaten to kill someone, it's also illegal to threaten a group because of some particular quality.

[Edited on September 13, 2010 at 12:21 AM. Reason : ]

9/13/2010 12:19:33 AM

Quote :

"in the bad old days, local law enforcement would actually look the other way when the victim of a beating or murder was "one o' them niggerjewfaggots" federal hate-crime laws ensure that the victims will receive justice"

only if the case gets brought to trial. if law enforcement ignores it, then what the fuck good is a tougher law anyway? dipshit

^ no. it's really just 1. the fucking crime that happened in the first place.

9/14/2010 12:53:37 AM

^note the term "local" dipshit, now the feds have greater power to come in to ensure justice in crooked backwards small-town Amurrikkka

9/14/2010 11:15:29 PM

so, if the case gets no attention from anyone, how are the feds to know to swoop in on their white horse and save the day?

9/15/2010 7:11:44 PM

http://www.sldn.org/blog/archives/Mike-Almy/

Quote :

"During my career, I deployed to the Middle East four times. In my last deployment, I led a team of nearly 200 men and women to operate and maintain the systems used to control the air space over Iraq. We came under daily mortar attacks, one of which struck one of my Airmen and also caused significant damage to our equipment. Towards the end of this deployment to Iraq, I was named one of the top officers in my career field for the entire Air Force. In the stress of a war zone, the Air Force authorized us to use our work email accounts for “personal or morale purposes” because private email accounts were blocked for security. Shortly after I left Iraq -- during a routine search of my computer files -- someone found that my “morale” was supported by the person I loved -- a man. The email -- our modern day letter home -- was forwarded to my commander. I was relieved of my duties, my security clearance was suspended and part of my pay was terminated. In my discharge proceeding, several of my former troops wrote character reference letters for me, including one of my squadron commanders. Their letters expressed their respect for me as an officer, their hope to have me back on the job and their shock at how the Air Force was treating me. Approximately a year after I was relieved of my duties, my Wing Commander recommended I be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, even though the Air Force was actively pursuing my discharge. But instead, after 16 months, I was given a police escort off the base as if I were a common criminal or a threat to national security. The severance pay I received was half of what it would have been had I been separated for any other reason. Despite this treatment, my greatest desire is still to return to active duty as an officer and leader in the United States Air Force, protecting the freedoms of a nation that I love; freedoms that I myself was not allowed to enjoy while serving in the military."

http://www.sldn.org/blog/archives/stories-from-the-frontlines-former-navy-petty-officer-third-class-jose/

Quote :

"Shop talk in the unit revolved around sex, either the prostitute-filled parties of days past or the escapades my comrades looked forward to. They interpreted my silence and total lack of interest as an admission of homosexuality."

http://www.sldn.org/blog/archives/stories-from-the-frontlines-chief-hospital-navy-corpsman-brian-k.-humb/

Quote :

"After a strong push by my faithful defense team, the board ruled that I could keep my retirement benefits and be discharged honorably. I served for 22 years and wanted only to fulfill the remainder of my time. A promise I made to my country. The criminal investigation by NCIS took all but six months. But one person -- a JAG officer -- spent the next eighteen months and countless man hours attempting to have me discharged with a reduction in rank and no retirement, all because I was gay. Sir, those two years were frankly, mental hell, all because one person felt I shouldn’t be in the Navy, a service I loved and still love today."

http://www.sldn.org/blog/archives/stories-from-the-frontlines-lcpl.-danny-hernandez-usmc-separated/

Quote :

"My discharge came from the fear that my sexual orientation was going to be revealed by a third party; a group of unknown Marines who threatened to use my sexuality as a way to retaliate after a dispute in a bar. I had spoken with two fellow Marines from my unit; both of whom I trusted. They calmed me, told me that it wasn’t a big deal, and reassured me that everything was going to be fine. I returned to drill only to find out that the two Marines – the Marines I confided in -- had mentioned it and word had reached my 1st Sergeant and Commanding Officer. They told the two Marines to submit written statements detailing everything I had told them. When I walked in to my 1st Sergeant's office the first question out of his mouth was, "Are you gay?" I answered honestly. The investigation was now underway."

http://www.sldn.org/blog/archives/stories-from-the-frontlines-a-soldier-returning-to-baghdad/

Quote :

"my unit is extremely undermanned. We're working around the clock in Baghdad. My commander informed me that the Army cannot afford to lose me. I was told that they would prepare my discharge paperwork, "stick it in a Manila envelope, and keep it in a desk -- for now." One moment they wanted to throw me out and the next they are hiding evidence to keep me in. My comrades now know that I am gay, and they do not treat me any differently. Work runs as smoothly as ever, and frankly the only difference I see -- besides my pending job loss -- is that I am free of the burden of having to constantly watch my words and ensure my lies are believable. Having this out in the open makes things a bit less stressful. But it's also clear the Army is only keeping me around until they are done with me. After I have served my two deployments -- and only a year shy of separating from the military honorably -- I suspect they will kick me to the street. It's bad enough that there is a law that denies tens of thousands of service members from serving with integrity, but it's even worse when such a law is carried out with such inconsistency, without any warning of when it might come down. If my suspicions are true, my discharge will move forward after my deployment. I am good enough to serve in war, but not at peace?"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aubrey-sarvis/air-force-boots-their-25_b_205553.html

Quote :

"Air Force Boots Their 25 Million Dollar Aviator Lieutenant Colonel Victor J. Fehrenbach, a fighter weapons systems officer, has been flying the F-15E Strike Eagle since 1998. He has flown numerous missions against Taliban and al-Qaida targets, including the longest combat mission in his squadron's history. On that infamous September 11, 2001, Lt. Col. Fehrenbach was handpicked to fly sorties above the nation's capital. Later he flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has received at least 30 awards and decorations including nine air medals, one of them for heroism, as well as campaign medals for Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He is now a flight instructor in Idaho, where he has passed on his skills to more than 300 future Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force weapons systems officers. Since 1987, when Fehrenbach entered Notre Dame on a full Air Force ROTC scholarship, the government has invested twenty-five million dollars in training and equipping him to serve his country, which he has done with what anyone would agree was great distinction. He comes from a military family. His father was a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, his mother an Air Force nurse and captain. Lt. Col. Fehrenbach has honored that tradition. And the Air Force is about to discharge this guy, a virtual poster boy for Air Force recruiting, because he is gay?"

http://www.sldn.org/content/military-stories/

Quote :

"A decorated sergeant and Arabic language specialist, I was discharged from the U.S. Army under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," though my accuser was never identified. I was "outed" by a stream of anonymous e-mails to my superiors in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. An eight-month Army investigation culminated in my honorable discharge from the Army - less than four years after I enlisted, motivated by a sense of duty to my country in the days following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks."

Quote :

"Then, last October the annual inspection of my base, Fort Gordon, Ga., included a perusal of the government computer chat system; inspectors identified 70 service members whose use violated policy. The range of violations was broad: people were flagged for everything from profanity to outright discussions of explicit sexual activity. Among those charged were my former roommate and me. Our messages had included references to our social lives — comments that were otherwise unremarkable, except that they indicated we were both gay. I could have written a statement denying that I was homosexual, but lying did not seem like the right thing to do. My roommate made the same decision, though he was allowed to remain in Iraq until the scheduled end of his tour. The result was the termination of our careers, and the loss to the military of two more Arabic translators. The 68 other — heterosexual — service members remained on active duty, despite many having committed violations far more egregious than ours; the Pentagon apparently doesn’t consider hate speech, derogatory comments about women or sexual misconduct grounds for dismissal. My supervisors did not want to lose me."

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2010/03/13/today-in-un-american-activities

Quote :

"Police in Rapid City, South Dakota, looked through the window of a home and spotted an Iowa marriage license sitting on the kitchen table. They were at the home to serve an arrest warrant to one of two women who lived there. The other woman who lived in the home—a woman who wasn't wanted for anything—happened to be a sergeant in the Air Force. The Air Force sergeant wasn't in trouble with the law, the sergeant hadn't broken any laws, her marriage license and her military career had no bearing on the case. But the Rapid City police officers—just for shits and giggles—let the Air Force know about the Iowa marriage license and Sgt. Jene Newsome's nine-year military career is over."

9/21/2010 10:50:34 PM

Senator McCain threw a bit of a tantrum saying everything I just posted never happened. The people speaking to the senators were saying that while policy might not have intended these results, these results have happened.

Quote :

"MCCAIN: I dont' care what you say! And I don't care what others say. I've seen it in action. I've seen it in action. I have sons in the military, I know the military very well. So they're not telling you the truth. ... ELEVELD: There are documented cases... MCCAIN: They do not, they do not, they do not. You can say that they are, you can say [inaudible] it's not true!... Yea, I'd like to see... GEIDNER: It is the case of Mike Almy, Senators. MCCAIN: Bring them to our office. It is not the policy, it is not the policy, it is not the policy. GEIDNER: But it is the case that it's happening, Senator. MCCAIN: It is not the policy, it is not the policy, it is not the policy You can say that it is the policy, sir if you choose to. It is not the policy. I would be glad to get that to you in writing."

And he can put it in writing to boot!

[Edited on September 21, 2010 at 11:14 PM. Reason : .]

9/21/2010 10:51:05 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFLvtO7mTiI

9/21/2010 11:10:32 PM

Quote :

"so, if the case gets no attention from anyone, how are the feds to know to swoop in on their white horse and save the day?"

interested parties contact the feds
they do have phone numbers and websites don'tcha kno

9/21/2010 11:30:00 PM

Another anti-DADT ruling:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=11721947

Quote :

"A federal judge ruled Friday that a decorated flight nurse discharged from the Air Force for being gay should be given her job back as soon as possible in the latest legal setback to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The decision by U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton came in a closely watched case as a tense debate has been playing out over the policy. Senate Republicans blocked an effort to lift the ban this week, but Leighton is now the second federal judge this month to deem the policy unconstitutional. Maj. Margaret Witt was suspended in 2004 and subsequently discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy after the Air Force learned she had been in a long-term relationship with a civilian woman."

Quote :

"After a six-day trial, the judge said testimony proved Witt was an outstanding nurse and her reinstatement would do nothing to hurt unit morale."

Quote :

""I'm just so thrilled I have the chance to do what I wanted to do all along: that's return to my unit," Witt said."

[Edited on September 24, 2010 at 8:59 PM. Reason : .]

9/24/2010 8:53:42 PM

Are the agents of intolerance worried that our openly gay soldiers will make these

the new Stars and Stripes?

9/26/2010 4:00:04 AM

UPDATE
Federal Judge Orders 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Injunction
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/us-district-judge-virginia-phillips-orders-dont-ask-dont-tell-injunction/19671216

Though you'll still need to page down about half way through the article buried in the middle of the sentence to see the media give Republicans any credit for this

10/12/2010 6:28:30 PM

Honestly even if I were in the military and Gas as a football bat, you got ask yourself....

Even with DADT gone and being gay is "tolerated," given the attitude of many in the military do you really want to be known as teh Gay marine. I would think that this would be a liability between hazing that goes on and situations that go on in the battlefield.

10/13/2010 8:57:22 AM

for the most part, if you do your job and do it well in the military, nobody gives a fuck about who you are fucking.

10/13/2010 7:03:20 PM

New standard issue...

[Edited on October 13, 2010 at 11:25 PM. Reason : l]

10/13/2010 11:25:00 PM

http://pamshouseblend.com/diary/17939/department-of-defense-to-service-members-homos-get-half

Quote :

"If you serve six years in the military and are then discharged involuntarily, Congress says you're entitled to separation pay to help ease your transition to civilian life. But the military has a policy — not required by any law — of cutting that separation pay in half if you're discharged, even honorably, for "homosexuality." That policy needlessly compounds the discrimination inflicted by DADT in the first place. Take the lead plaintiff in our case, Richard Collins. He was a decorated Air Force Staff Sergeant who served nine years before being kicked out under DADT. He was seen kissing his civilian boyfriend, in a car at a stoplight, when he was off duty, out of uniform, and 10 miles off base. After being discharged under DADT, Staff Sgt. Collins discovered that his separation pay had been cut in half just because he's gay. That was the last straw for Staff Sgt. Collins, and he approached the ACLU."

11/11/2010 4:10:28 PM

Quote :

"for the most part, if you do your job and do it well in the military, nobody gives a fuck about who you are fucking."

This wouldn't have been a problem if the flamboyant gays weren't prancing around pissing people off with their constant reminding to everyone that they are gay.

but you know, some always have to ruin it for all.

[Edited on November 11, 2010 at 4:37 PM. Reason : .]

11/11/2010 4:36:54 PM

^Whatever hater. Flamboyant gays are awesome.

11/11/2010 5:37:46 PM

no. they're not.

neither are flamboyant straight people.

11/11/2010 7:35:00 PM

yeah they are

macho men on the other hand can be annoying as fuck, and that's the kind of guy who volunteers for long, hard hours in the desert heat with death surrounding him at all corners, whether he's gay or straight

the flamboyantly fey, foofy, and femmy faggots wouldn't dare so much as sign up for basic (neither would sensitive new-age metrosexuals), although some of them may be in a position to deliver a "third-party outing" to a gay service-member

now as for women in the military, IMO a greater proportion of them are gay, because once again the military attracts masculinity

and whether male or female, the prerogative for a homosexual interested in military service is to stay in the closet, not annoyingly go out and proud to all acquaintances

11/11/2010 8:23:45 PM

^^^^Yeah, its too bad those gays are forcing the Obama Administration to defend this policy. They're doing it to themselves really.

11/11/2010 10:49:55 PM

Fun to hang out with, easy to talk too, and girls like to hang out with them. Cant say anymore.

That and the whole "alpha male" shit with spoiled ass macho dudes is fucking annoying.

11/11/2010 11:24:49 PM

I heard that women like gay men because they talk about stuff that straight guys usually don't, like the arts, shopping, and interior decorating, and they aren't so fixated on sports; then again there are people who chafe at such generalizations, like this homo: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/lax/336540406.html

or this one, Bryan Safi in the first installment of "That's Gay": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfDkBI2Nb5M

11/12/2010 12:17:09 AM

unfortunately not yet:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/1112/Supreme-Court-refuses-to-hear-bid-to-block-don-t-ask-don-t-tell

11/12/2010 5:41:37 PM

^The interesting thing about them refusing to get involved with the issue of a stay is that Kagan recused herself. That means, after a few years when this thing works its way up to SCOTUS, she will again. This already right leaning court, once Kagan is removed, basically kills the chance of repeal through the courts. Hopefully without elections looming in the near future, the GOP wont filibuster the repeal effort any more.

Quote :

"Republicans end DADT"

Quote :

"9/10/2010 10:40:45 AM"

Mission Accomplished much?

11/12/2010 10:04:12 PM

More arrests at the White House in an attempt to push a vote during the lameduck session:


From what I've read, they wont have enough time to complete the process if they don't start it before Thanksgiving. Its a long shot at best, but still maybe more of a shot than it will have once the midterm election winners take their seats.

It gets worse:


[Edited on November 16, 2010 at 2:53 PM. Reason : n000000000b -qfred]

11/16/2010 4:00:30 AM

the Marines must be the manliest branch of the military, because a full 40% don't want gays serving openly: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/marines-opposed-lifting-gay-ban-report-finds/story?id=12122742

11/16/2010 4:37:39 AM

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-10/obama-lawyers-back-military-don-t-ask-don-t-tell-gay-ban-at-high-court.html

11/16/2010 10:51:46 AM

^I actually think that is the correct stand by the Admin. (though I disagree with the policy)

11/16/2010 11:20:44 AM

lemme guess. lewis done fucked up.

[Edited on November 16, 2010 at 2:39 PM. Reason : nope, it was planter]

11/16/2010 2:38:41 PM

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/29/5545014-poll-most-favor-gays-serving-openly-

Quote :

"Poll: Most favor gays serving openly As opponents of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy prepare a final push for repeal during Congress’s lame duck session, polling shows that they’ve got the wind of public opinion at their backs. A new survey out Monday from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that 58 percent of Americans favor allowing gay and lesbian members of the military to serve openly."

Quote :

"Support for allowing gays to serve openly is still highest among young Americans, with almost 70 percent of those 18-29 favoring the proposal. But only 44 percent of Americans over 65 agree with their younger counterparts."

Not that we needed another poll to find these same results again. More support repeal than oppose, there is a strong age divide, yada yada yada. There was also a religion divide... interestingly over half of Catholics support open service.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/22/pentagon-warns-congress-dadt_n_786649.html

Quote :

"it's better to be changed by legislation rather than have it struck down by the courts," Gates said. ... The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he supports Congress using its lame-duck session to end the ban known as "don't ask, don't tell.""

In the end I think that opinion will carry more weight than whatever the public wants.

11/29/2010 8:40:57 PM

what?

young people support change, while old people resist it?

the hell you say. that's just crazy talk.

11/30/2010 2:45:20 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/30/military.gay.policy/index.html

Quote :

"Pentagon: Letting openly gay troops serve won't hurt military # NEW: Obama says the report shows the military can embrace change # Report says most service members aren't opposed to repealing "don't ask, don't tell" # Military brass to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee # A year-long review says the impact of repeal would be limited and not long-lasting"

11/30/2010 5:57:28 PM

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20024623-503544.html

Quote :

"Poll: Two in Three Want "Don't Ask" Repeal December 3, 2010 6:30 PM Sixty-nine percent of Americans believe gay men and women should be allowed to serve openly in the military, a new CBS News poll finds - an increase of seven points since October. ... The poll comes as the Senate holds hearings on a Pentagon report that found little long-term risk to responsibly repealing the 1993 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that mandates that gays can only serve if they hide their sexuality. ... a majority of independents strongly favor changing the policy"

12/4/2010 10:52:10 PM

So, the Republicans delivered on this thread title yet?

12/4/2010 11:10:00 PM