Catching Up, Part III – Congress (sort of) Repeals "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Dateline December 18th, 2010

After 17 years it’s finally happened.  Congress has repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, the law that allowed for gay & lesbian Americans to be forced out of the armed services regardless of their record has been stricken down.  Well, sort of.  Repeal, though passed by both the House and the Senate, still hinges on the top brass of all branches of the US Armed Forces to actually move forward on the matter.

Certainly this is a step in the correct direction but it could be months or years before this is actually carried out.  Until then, LGBT Americans are still subject to dismissal even if they are heroes simply because of what they do in their private lives that should be nobody’s damn business.

American society has always been behind the curve on societal changes regarding those whom we deem different that “make people uncomfortable”.  Slowly, but surely, we do eventually come around.  It took over 100 years to properly implement equality and civil rights into law for African Americans and other minorities.  LGBT rights are the new legal civil rights battle for the 21st century and I know we’ll get there in time.  Unfortunately while we drag our feet we look ridiculous and backwards to the rest of the world.

– “Left of Center”

Injunction Against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", Part I – The Decision

 

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In a surprising, but completely proper decision, U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips has issued a “worldwide injunction” against the US military preventing any further enforcement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. For 17 years many have been stating the obvious about this legislation. It is flatly Unconstitutional.

The Judge ruled that because service members have been discharged for the contents of private communication, prevented from discussing their off-duty activities, and most importantly have had to skip joining political action groups that support their views for fear of reprisal. This constitutes, in her legal opinion, preventing individuals from petitioning the government for redress of grievances.

Aside from these findings, to anyone rational and clear thinking, that this law abridges the freedoms of some Americans by creating a separate but equal group of individuals. This is an obvious violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The law also infringes on the 1st Amendment free speech protections of gay and lesbian Americans by forcing them to keep their personal lives veritably classified for risk of being both disgraced and essentially fired from their job, regardless of their disciplinary record.

Continued…

– “Left of Center”

Sources: AOL News | Christian Science Monitor | Full Text of the Ruling

Comparison of Reactions to DADT Vote

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Two disparate viewpoints from the Senate floor in regards to the vote on the Defense Spending Authorization bill containing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: