Subscribe to Breaking NewsDuffy: Marching against the military ban
A 365gay reader asked: “It seems like everyone wants away with DADT but it is just a few blogs here and there. Where are the rallies, support and so forth?”
A while back I wrote a post on a what-if scenario: what if a majority of gay service members came out at the same time? Many of you – civilian and military alike – commented and shared your thoughts and hopes for the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law (DADT).
Recently, I was contacted by a reader who was inquiring on a different “what if?” scenario: What if the public started attending rallies and protests to show public support for the repeal of DADTas forcefully as do supporters of marriage equality and the hate crimes bill?
I emailed this reader and discussed my own experience dealing with the Human Rights Campaign at a gay pride festival. They were hell bent on getting me to donate my money for marriage equality – but when I asked about military issues and the repeal of DADT, the woman said, curtly, that they “weren’t worrying about that right now.”
I believe she could have used a little more tact in order to coax my funds from me, but I wonder how widespread that thought is. It seems that President Obama, Admiral Mullen, and the multitude of Congressmen and Congress women aren’t really worrying about that right now, either.
In an MSNBC article on May 24th, Admiral Mullen claimed the military will comply if the gay ban changes. Again there is that word IF that I hate so much. The Admiral also says that the military won’t even “start on a timeline until Congress acts.”
We have the military saying they want to take time to initiate the changes IF changes are to be made and that they will not even consider a basic timeline until Congress starts the ball rolling. So – IF the President is honest in his desire to have the law repealed wouldn’t it be a good idea to ask congress to act? The military could work on a timeline that begins months or years from now – I hope they don’t take that long – but it would at least be a start.
If we are only waiting on our politicians to give the military the go-ahead to take their time – what is the big deal? We should urge our public supporters to stand and rally for the rights of LGBT service members. The military knows the repeal is coming. Let’s at least encourage our elected leaders give the military the go-ahead to start planning for it.
Perhaps now would be a good time to support the troops actively and fight for them as they fight for us.
Michael Duffy is the pseudonym of an American soldier serving in Iraq.
This is just one the carrots the Democrats will continue to dangle in front of us until we finally get mad and demand our rights. DADT, DOMA, Prop 8; all of them must go now! Not some magical date in the future as the Democrats would have us wait so we continue to vote for them! Personally, I’m voting Third Party until the Democratic Congress and Obama administration make good on all their empty promises.
Maybe we should get ALL the gay members of the armed forces to resign at once..This would really HURT them!!!
Maybe we should try and get ALL the Gay service people to resign at once !!
This would really HURT the armed forces!!!
Why is everybody so much n a hurry to be in the service to go kill people and possibly get killed. WHen I was of draft age one of the few benefits of being Gay was being exempt from the draft. My how times change!
Hey Duffy and fellow bloggers,
I have been a recent blogger to 365.gay and each time there was something to do with DADT, I am right there to support it. I live in little old Ocala, Fla and we do have some gay vets who are also supporters of repealing DADT. It shoud never have gottn in there, but that was in another era. We all know that DADT will be history one day and it couldn’t come soon enough. I may be over 65 and served in the US Navy 1961-1967. That too was another era. In trying to keep a lower gay profile, I agree with John and not flaunt the flamboyent side of being gay. If I could still fit in my dress uniform, I would be right there marching in the Pride Parades. I do wear my ballcap with Navy Veteran in large letters on it. For the sake of those who have already been dismissed from the military and I hope not too many more get dismissed, that they get rid of DADT and it is retro-active to all veterans who were dismissed just because they were gay, dead or alive. We joined to serve our country and fight for the freedoms for in the most honorable and patrotic way as any soldier or sailor could.
Hang in there Duffy. It will come soon. You take care and come home safe.
I don’t think parades and protests are compelling ways of organizing. I actually the repeal of DADT MUST take place for the repeal of DOMA. (Not only because there’s more likelihood to get DADT repealed sooner, but also because it’d make a great argument for DOMA: We can DIE for our country but not get married IN IT?!)
They should just organize huge groups of heterosexual soldiers, whole units, who in solidarity will declare themselves gay, they can’t fire half the army. That would end it
Duffy,
One of the things that needs to be done is the military code against sodomy needs to be repealed by congress.
If I understand right the Supremes ruling about sodomy laws in the states did not apply to the military.
So right now sodomy consenting or otherwise is against the military code.
That was one of the flaws during the Clinton fiasco
Give me a break! I’ll admit you probably hear more about marriage equality than any other issue, but DADT is right up there. In the end, you need to look at the bigger picture, which equal right in ALL facets of society. I don’t think anyone has lost site of that goal. It’s just that it took the marriage issue to bring everything else to the fore.
Yeppers. Nothing says “I want to be taken seriously as a soldier” than hundreds of laughing queers waving rainbow flags, wearing pink decal shirts and attracting attention-whore drag queens to do impromptu performances complete with music.
Im just spit-balling here, but could it be that men and women who serve in the military couldnt be more embarrassed and ashamed of the screeching obnoxious stereotypes that parades draw and celebrate as “gay culture”?
Maybe its just that service-men dont want to be associated with a minority that proudly labels itself with the same euphemism heteros use to mean “lame, weak, stupid and ridiculous” because their idea of winning respect and equality is raising money for Other Peoples Lawsuits and would rather spend decades hiding behind lawyers than directly confronting bigots head-on.
I dont know. Im just thinking out loud.
Totally agree with you ancient greece and rome both heavily influenced by homosexuals. alexander the great was gay and he was the greatest military general of all time. I’d like to point out though that same-sex marriage is not a new thing its been around for thousands of years so the right don’t have tradition on their side. And what is traditional marriage anyway? Its only very recently among straight people been about love it used to be about money,power,men owning women and joining two families together for political reasons.
Personally, I think the ban against gays in the military is a much clearer case of bigotry than gay marriage. After all, for thousands of year marriage was something straight people did. The anti-gay marriage folk may not have right on their side, but they do have tradition. On the other hand, we gays have tradition on OUR side when it comes to DADT. Sparta…anyone? Also, its clearly a case of discriminatory employment, which we do have civilian laws against. The military should not be exempt from them.
I’m still waiting for someone to answer this question: What is the problem that our military expects to encounter that the other countries who permit gays to successfully serve openly have not encountered
I think it is time for all of us to stand behind our troops in dadt As a former Navy guy I am totally upset that this was started in the first place. I was in the navy before the inception of DADT and I think we should start publicly protesting in all states. I for one would be more then willing to be part of a protest march etc. here in Florida (Jacksonville) and i hope that there are others as outraged as I that a government which we served with dignity would expect us to lie. What has happened to all created equal?
You do know that Lt. Dan Choi will be a Grand Marshall of the SF PRIDE Parade June 28… and a whole contingent of KNIGHTS OUT supporters will be marching with him. With Battalion colors etc.
Join in…form your own at Your Pride Parades. Don’t ask others to do it,DO IT YOURSELF.