Obama: Drop Military Sodomy Ban
Illinois Senator (and 2008 Democratic presidential candidate) Barack Obama has gone on the record opposing Article 125, the military's ban on sodomy.
In response to a Gay City News article last week, Senator Obama's campaign now says he opposes the sodomy ban. The paper says it will publish an update to its original story, reflecting Obama's position, in its next issue, on April 19th. The Senator joins Christopher Dodd, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Biden and Mike Gravel in opposing the ban.
In an earlier post, SLDN staff attorney Aaron Tax pointed out that "One unforeseen consequence of the ban is that because of the threat of consensual sodomy prosecutions hanging over service members’ heads, when two service members are alleged to have engaged in consensual sodomy, there is an incentive for at least one to cooperate with the prosecution and claim the activity was nonconsensual. As a result, it is easier to convict at least one of the parties, resulting in service members, guilty of nothing more than engaging in consensual sodomy, being sent to prison."
In wake of the Supreme Court's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_v._Texas">2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas, the constitutionality of the military's ban has been in question. Senator Joe Biden's campaign has said that "the Supreme Court's clear and unmistakable view in Lawrence that the sex lives of consenting adults are a private matter... [and that should] apply to every American, both civilian and military."
Gay City News reports that, as of this morning, neither the Clinton nor Edwards campaigns have responded to questions regarding those candidates' positions.
- Steve RallsLabels: 2008, Article 125, in the news
04-17-07
7 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Grant Buell on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
Robert…. you might want to read my post again. I basically agree with you…
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Robert, NYC. on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
Windsunsurf and Grant Buell are indicative of the neanderthal mindset so pervasive in the military and society at large. So in other words, straight men should also refrain from giving or performing oral sex on their spouses or gifrlfriends and vice versa. That too is deemed as sodomy. And lets not forget that heterosexual also like to have anal sex with their “women”. So what do you two morons say to that?You can’t have it all your own way way. Any true heterosexual wouldn’t spew this kind of venom if he or she were that comfortable with their own orientation. The ones who protest too much are the most suspect and its clear these two have issues about that.<BR><BR>Robert, NYC.
Anonymous on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
Those who oppose sodomy usually don’t know the definition of sodomy. It is NOT just anal sex between men.<BR><BR>And, if you read the original article discussing the military ban on sodomy, it defined sodomy for the military as anything except missionary postion heterosexual sex.<BR><BR>So, according to the military ban, heterosexual woman on top sex is sodomy. Heterosexual oral sex is sodomy. Heterosexual doggy style (woman on hands and knees) is sodomy. And, the list goes on.
Bloggernista on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
@ windsunsurf, I am thinking that if you oppose sodomy, then maybe you shouldn’t engage in it. And those of us that have no problem with can do it if the mood strikes. What do you think about that?
Grant Buell on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
“what about us in the majority who oppose sodomy?”<BR><BR>... What about you? No one’s making you have butt sex, unless I’m missing something.
windsunsurf on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
Don’t ask don’t tell will now become drop the ban on all wierd detestable sexual behavior. And another minority has equal protection, what about us in the majority who oppose sodomy?
KipEsquire on December 31, 1969 at 02.00 pm
“In wake of the Supreme Court’s 2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas, the constitutionality of the military’s ban has been in question.”<BR><BR>I’m on your side 110%, but that statement is unsupportable. Surely you are aware of U.S. v. Marcum, which rightly or wrongly resolved this question as far as the courts are concerned.<BR><BR>There are lots of fundamental rights that are forfeit once you enlist in the military. One easy example: smoking.<BR><BR>That, coupled with a generally extreme deference by courts to questions of military policy (see. e.g., Rumsfeld v. FAIR), makes Lawrence completely inapposite to a military sodomy ban, Senator Biden’s statement notwithstanding.<BR><BR>Cheers…