“DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” OFFICIALLY ENDS!
Sep 20th, 2011 09:45 AM By AdminThe following is an excerpt from a story by ABC News / The Associated Press:
“After years of debate and months of final preparations, the military can no longer prevent gays from serving openly in its ranks.
“Repeal of a 1993 law that allowed gays to serve only so long as they kept their sexual orientation private took effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
“Some in Congress still oppose the change, but top Pentagon leaders have certified that it will not undermine the military’s ability to recruit or to fight wars.
“The Army was distributing a business-as-usual statement Tuesday saying simply, ‘The law is repealed,’ and reminding soldiers to treat each other fairly.
“Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, scheduled a Pentagon news conference to field questions about the repeal. And a bipartisan group of congressional supporters of allowing openly gay service planned a news conference on Capitol Hill.
“Gay advocacy groups planned a series of celebrations across the country.
“At a San Diego bar, current and former troops danced and counted down to midnight. ‘You are all heroes,’ Sean Sala, a former Navy operations specialist, said. ‘The days of your faces being blacked out on the news — no more.’
“The head of Pentagon personnel put out a memo to the work force at 12:01 a.m. EDT. ‘All service members are to treat one another with dignity and respect regardless of sexual orientation,’ the memo from Clifford Stanley said.
“‘The Department of Defense is committed to promoting an environment free from personal, social or institutional barriers that prevent service members from rising to the highest level of responsibility possible regardless of sexual orientation.’
“In Iraq, a spokesman for U.S forces put out a statement Tuesday morning noting that all troops there had been trained for the change.
“Pentagon press secretary George Little said Monday that the military is adequately prepared for the end of the current policy, commonly known as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ under which gays can serve as long as they don’t openly acknowledge their sexual orientation and commanders are not allowed to ask.
“‘No one should be left with the impression that we are unprepared. We are prepared for repeal,’ Little said.
“Last week, the Pentagon said 97 percent of the military has undergone training in the new law.
“For weeks the military services have accepted applications from openly gay recruits, while waiting for repeal to take effect before processing the applications.”
Small Town Country Boy
Aug 01st, 2011 06:49 PM By RandallI grew up in a small town where being gay was unheard of. It was a low demographic, high military entrance. You either graduated and went into the military, or worked at a factory. No in between. I decided to join the Marine Corps in my junior year of high school. I have always known that I am gay. The days approaching my ship date to go to Parris Island, I was getting nervous about my secret. I shipped out to boot camp on September 22, 2008.
I arrived on the island and was comfortable for the first few weeks until my platoon mates started asking questions about my sexuality. I denied all of it. It was the day of the 2nd phase. Swim week. I decided I had had enough of the consistent badgering of questions. So I requested to speak to the 3rd BTN Chaplain. I initially told him that I am gay. He said that its a hard discharge and it will take a while for me to get off the Island. So I went forth with it. I was forced to sign paperwork that was demeaning stating that I am a homosexual and was only interested in the sexual nature of men. I am, but to write that out and say it in front of my DIs was extremely embarrassing. I was taken to RSP (Recruit Separation Platoon) where I was at for a month prior to being dropped from training.
The day I was dropped my heavy hat was asking me why I decided to get out this way. He knew of gay Marines. I told him that I did not want to hide who I am. I wanted to be proud of who I am and who I am with. He said that he respected that. As I arrived to my barracks my Senior Drill Instructor and another SDI from follow series was there and they were mocking me. I started to inventory my gear and as I was finishing they said that I would have made a great Marine.
Arriving back at RSP I was met by my RSP DIs. They immediately made me inventory my gear there, then go to Service and Supply battalion to turn in my gear to start my process of getting discharged. I had to sign all my rights away for council. It took me a total of 3 months to get off the island. I could have graduated and gone out into the fleet in that time. Near the end of my stay on the island I was informed that they asked my platoon mates if I approached them sexually.
In a society where masculinity is the rule of thumb, homophobia runs rampant.
I’m Randall, and I GIVE A DAMN!!! Do you?
DADT (1999 – 2010)
Jul 23rd, 2011 06:02 AM By BenWelcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Benny
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
A spiteful, misbegotten fear cloaked in a pious shell
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Denny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell
Discharged to stop them tainting other personnel
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Jenny
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
There’s no marker on the battlefield where they fell
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Kenny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell
Just to speak their love’s name was to rebel
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Lenny
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
They understood prejudice only too well
Let’s drink a toast in honour of Penny
Welcome to one Private’s unprivate personal hell
Shot through the heart by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
The above is a villanelle I wrote about DADT. No copyright, so if you want to reprint it anywhere, recite it when you’re having a Celebrate Repeal party, whatever, please do.
With love and respect, Ben
“DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” REPEAL CERTIFIED, POLICY TO END IN 60 DAYS!
Jul 22nd, 2011 04:21 PM By AdminToday, President Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen certified the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The policy will end in 60 days, on September 20, 2011!
The following is a statement from President Obama:
Today, we have taken the final major step toward ending the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law that undermines our military readiness and violates American principles of fairness and equality. In accordance with the legislation that I signed into law last December, I have certified and notified Congress that the requirements for repeal have been met. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will end, once and for all, in 60 days—on September 20, 2011.
As Commander in Chief, I have always been confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness. Today’s action follows extensive training of our military personnel and certification by Secretary Panetta and Admiral Mullen that our military is ready for repeal. As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country. Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian.
I want to commend our civilian and military leadership for moving forward in the careful and deliberate manner that this change requires, especially with our nation at war. I want to thank all our men and women in uniform, including those who are gay or lesbian, for their professionalism and patriotism during this transition. Every American can be proud that our extraordinary troops and their families, like earlier generations that have adapted to other changes, will only grow stronger and remain the best fighting force in the world and a reflection of the values of justice and equality that the define us as Americans.
The following is a picture of the official certification:
JON STEWART INTERVIEWS CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS, ADMIRAL MULLEN, ABOUT “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL”
Feb 04th, 2011 02:33 PM By Admin
Jon Stewart interviews Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mullen, about the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on The Daily Show:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Exclusive – Mike Mullen Extended Interview Pt. 2 | ||||
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GENERAL AMOS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS, VIDEO MESSAGE TO MARINES ABOUT “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” REPEAL
Jan 31st, 2011 06:14 PM By AdminAccording to The Washington Post:
Gay rights leaders are praising the nation’s top Marine for setting a positive, proactive tone as the military prepares to end enforcement of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” despite his previous warnings that openly gay troops could lead to deadly distractions.
Gen. James F. Amos, the commandant of the Marine Corps, has said that allowing gays to serve openly in the military could result in more casualties because openly gay troops on the battlefield could pose “a distraction.”
But in a new video, Amos and Sgt. Maj. Carlton W. Kent, the Marine’s top enlisted man, remind the rank and file that a change in policy is coming and they expect them to follow the new orders.
The following is the video message:
PENTAGON TO ROLL OUT PLAN TO TRAIN FORCES ON ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL’ REPEAL
Jan 27th, 2011 11:11 AM By AdminThe following is an excerpt from a story by The Army Times / Associated Press:
“Pentagon leaders will roll out a plan Friday that is expected to give the military services about three months to train their forces on the new law allowing gays to serve openly, officials said Wednesday.
“The plan, they said, will outline the personnel, recruiting and other regulations that must be changed. It will describe three levels of training for the troops, their commanders and the key administrators, recruiters and other leaders who will have to help implement the changes.
“Under that training schedule, full implementation of the law could begin later this summer. Once the training is complete, the president and his top military advisers must certify that lifting the ban won’t hurt troops’ ability to fight. Sixty days after certification, the law would take effect.
“Word of the plan comes a day after President Obama told the nation in his State of the Union address that the change was in sight.”
PENTAGON SPENDS NEARLY $200 MILLION TO DISCHARGE GAYS OVER 5 YEARS
Jan 21st, 2011 02:40 PM By AdminThe following is an excerpt from a story by The Washington Post / Associated Press:
“A government analysis says that discharging gay service members cost the Pentagon nearly $200 million from 2004 to 2009. The money went mainly to recruit and train replacements.
“The Government Accountability Office report says it cost an average of $52,800 per discharge. The totals are estimates because of differences in how the military services compile and report budget data.
“Congressional investigators say that of the 3,664 service members dismissed for being gay, more than 1,400 held critical jobs or spoke an important foreign language.”
Read the full The Washington Post / Associated Press story >>
Way of Life
Jan 10th, 2011 10:34 AM By ChristopherI have had to hide who I am for a long time. From my family, friends, and now everyone I work with. There are even people in the gay community who look at me funny when they do know. I’m a 21 year old bisexual guy who at one point in my life would hate myself from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. When I came out to my parents they didn’t think much of it. I was in high school and they just thought it was a thing that would pass. After that one try to tell them who I was it became something we never talked about. My dad and step-mom looked at it the same way.
It wasn’t until I was 21 that I tried again. This time I was on the other side of the world with an amazing boyfriend back home. I couldn’t go home on leave and lie to them, so I came out. First to my older sister. She took it great. Then to my father and step-mom. That didn’t go so good. They have come up with so many ways to right it off. Everything from it isn’t possible because I still like girls to being brainwashed when I was younger.
I can’t understand how they would rather think of me as brainwashed and sick instead of really dealing with it. Now it has once again become that one thing they wont talk about. If I hint at the topic or even try to outright bring it up they all of a sudden have to go to the store or go to work.
more…
WATCH THE ‘DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL” REPEAL SIGNING CEREMONY
Dec 22nd, 2010 03:35 PM By AdminThe following is video from The White House of today’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal signing ceremony:
