DADT on the House Floor
For the first time in a very long time, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was discussed on the floor of the House of Representatives here in Washington, D.C. Last night, eight members of Congress joined Congressman Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania for a late night "special order" to shed some light on the need to repeal DADT and lift the ban that is hurting our military.
Rep. Murphy was first joined by Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota, a command Sergeant Major in the US Army, who served his country for 24 years. Rep. Walz spoke to the fact that sexual orientation as an issue is a fallacy, that DADT does not strengthen our military, nor does it reflect the values we hold dear as a nation. One by one, members stepped up to the podium. Rep. Capps and Woolsey from California spoke to the need of repealing DADT to build recruitment and retention. They addressed the need to keep repeal a priority and at the forefront of our conscience. Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado waved the newest issue of Joint Forces Quarterly to the cameras, extolling the sound research of Col. Om Prakash's article, "The Efficacy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Mr. Polis relayed a story of a soldier currently serving, wanting to know if DADT would be repealed. He said to the Congressman that if it is repealed he would re-enlist. However, if the law is not overturned, he could not keep serving under threat of being fired for simply being who he is as a person.
A number of personal stories were shared: Rep. Quigley of Illinois shared how DADT had affected both Lee Reinhardt and Second Lt. Sandy Tsao. Rep. Baldwin of Wisconsin took to the microphone and spoke of how she had met with Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, who is facing a discharge that grows ever more imminent. Perhaps one of the most poignant moments of the night came from Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine. She related the story of how a soldier, fighting in Iraq for our freedom and security, had found out that his partner had died back here in the U.S. Being gay, this brave warrior could not grieve for his loss, could not speak to his comrades or commanders about his pain for fear of being fired and sent home discharged. So he simply had to stay put, continue his mission and mourn silently. This is truly what this fight is about: To give our fighting men and women the opportunity to be themselves; to rejoice in times of happiness and grieve in times of tragedy; to be able to get the mission done safely and come home to their loved ones; to not have to lie about who they are and fear retribution.
SLDN thanks all the members of Congress who spoke out on the need for repeal last night. Your voices carry far and wide.
10-07-09 By Jeremy Wilson-Simerman, Policy Advocate |
8 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Jessica Naomi in United States on October 13, 2009 at 02.45 am
People keep talking about what President Obama has NOT done, when the problem is what he has done about Don’t Ask Just Beat Up Gays, Kick them Out, & Replace them with Felons & Fascists
1. Discharged more than 420 men and women this year.
2. Blocked 77 members of Congress from moving forward to stop funding Just Kick Gays Out.
3. Allowed the DOJ to stop SCOTUS from hearing the case about Just Kick Gays Out arguing that it is good for military unity.
He was not too busy then.
Lee Reinhart in Chicago, IL on October 12, 2009 at 11.43 pm
I was honored to have had my name mention on the House Floor that evening. My story is only one of thousands but I’m gratefull to have had it told.
Lee Reinhart
Reinhart without the “d”!
Dino in Washington, D.C. on October 09, 2009 at 01.46 pm
Michael, my intention was not to “demonize” you. After all, at the end of the day we are on the same side aren’t we? I want to see DADT repealed asap and it really makes my blood boil that it has been on the books for almost sixteen years. I think back to 1993 and those “hearings” lead by Senator Sam Nunn and I get more livid than words can describe. Of course the likes of Sam Nunn, Jessie Helms and Bob Dornan have long left congress, and many young people today may not have even heard of them, but THEY..THEY are the ones to blame for DADT. I stand by my claim that venting at President Obama, is just making him a convenient scapegoat, and never mind that he has only been in office for just over nine months. No, President Obama is not perfect, he is not my savior, but he is a thoughtful, fair minded person. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee happened to think so when they awarded him the prize today, not for anything he has done but for inspiring hope, which stunned even me. Also, when despair and gloom is projected on these blogs, remember that impressionable young LGBT people are reading, and they will drink the kool-aid. I think we owe it to our young people to project a message of hope and optimism.
In keeping with that message of being positive, I want to thank you for organizing the memorial tomorrow. I have a family committment so I cannot attend but I will be there in spirit. Also, thank you very much for keeping the memory of Leonard Matlovich alive.
Lance on October 09, 2009 at 03.19 am
Well, it looks like the house just passed the hate crimes bill. I don’t know about everyone else but I consider it a hate crime to fire someone from their job for people finding out that they prefer same sex relationships. And, since it also covers soldiers, are gay soldiers double protected now? Have a safe weekend everyone.
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com on October 08, 2009 at 09.14 pm
Happy to hear you admired Leonard, Dino, but if you didn’t have your head so far up the you know what of you know whom it might have dawned on you that someone writing from a “leonardmatlovich.com” address might have some connection.
1. I organized the memorial and DADT protest.
2. Leonard was one of my best friends for the last 13 years of his life, and we were roommates in both DC and SF. I was with him when he died, was the executor of his estate, and am the creator of ...wait for it….www.leonardmatlovich.com.
So, forgive me, if I suggest I might know a little better than most, let alone you, what Leonard’s reaction would be to the betrayals of Mr. Obama. To whom other than Mr. Obama should anyone “assign blame”? Leonard often vented, telling CNN’s Larry King, Good Morning America’s Charlie Gibson, among others, on the air, that “it’s criminal” how little President Reagan had done in relation to AIDS. When Carter was POTUS, Leonard told the media that he seem to care more about the rights of people in other countries than gays in America. He lead public protests against Pope John Paul during his visit to San Francisco, condemning him for his homophobia and own failure to help those with AIDS. He publicly condemned Anita Bryant, John Briggs, and Lyndon LaRouche, among many other antigay demagogues.
Shall I go on? Recapping:
1. How DARE you use your uninformed imaginings about my own friend to attempt to demonize me.
2. Look up: “shooting the messenger.” The truth is that your only problem with me is that you don’t like my message, or as would say, “tirade.”
3. Some of us care about advancing gay equality, and some of us are more interested in earning badges in the Obama Personality Cult.
Pick your hat.
Dino in Washington, DC on October 08, 2009 at 04.21 pm
Once again it is .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with his angry NObama rant. Ya know Michael, I think I am going to call Guiness and see if they can start a category for a record on the most number of blog comments of how President Barack Obama has betrayed and let down the LGBT Community. You would win hands down!! I will say however that it is nice that you mentioned the memorial at the Congressional Cemetery on the afternoon of October 10th. It should be a great ceremony. I too greatly admire Sgt Leonard Matlovich. From what I know about the man, he was always positive and upbeat, he always saw the glass as half full and not half empty. I believe that he was not into venting and assigning blame and always believed in encouraging people to be constructive in their frustration and not be bitter. Just something to think about the next time you go on your usual ‘Obama betrayed us’ tirade.
CJ in Japan on October 08, 2009 at 02.21 am
I would like to agree with Micheal. Thank you all so much for what you are fighting for. I am overseas checking out this website everyday longing for information like this. People fighting for us as we fight for them. It keeps me going and continuing to fight with the thought of knowing we have people behind us who will not settle and are keeping the pressure on our Command- in- Chief. Please don’t allow him to wiggle out of this. We have him as well as congress in a corner that they cannot throw another excuse out on stalling!! Thank you so much once again!
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com on October 07, 2009 at 10.16 pm
I join you in thanking these members of Congress for speaking out about the injustice and the insanity of DADT—and the damage it does to our national security.
The problem is that our Commander-in-Chief refuses to act…even though he said many of these same things during his campaign and repeated them on June 29th in his meeting with LGBTs at the White House. It “weakens national security,” he said. What is one to do when a Commander-in-Chief, however unintentionally, indicts HIMSELF for weakening national security? What is one to do after he told Victor Fehrenbach when the Lt. Col. asked face-to-face for his help at that event that “it’s a generational problem”?
It’s inexplicable why media, gay and nongay, did not pick up on this clearest indication yet of why the President has shelved indefinitely his promises to IMMEDIATELY throw the weight of his administration behind repeal upon taking office and LEAD. While anyone with half a brain knew that was the reason, here was the President virtually admitting that the Pentagon tail is wagging the dog.
The remarks last night on the House floor were a step forward, but the fact remains that they were only a step to the edge overlooking the deep chasm repeal has fallen into.
They are going to need our help to pull it out, just as our supporters in the Senate are going to need our help in FINALLY getting a repeal bill just INTRODUCED! There, Harry Reid recently amplified what primordial DADT opponent and Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin warned in June: repeal will get nowhere without direct leadership from the President.
Please join SLDN Board Member Jose Zuniga, Lt. Dan Choi, former servicemembers Anthony Woods, Eric Alva, Tanya Domi, Tracy Thorne-Begland, Frank Kameny, and Troy Perry at a DADT protest and memorial to Leonard Matlovich at 2 pm on Saturday, October 10, in Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E Street SE, Washington DC. [Within walking distance of Potomac Ave & Stadium-Armory DC Metro stations.]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzFSgI1_FK8
It’s going to take a lot more of us pulling and pulling a lot harder to get repeal back on track. Thank you.