Comments on: Neff: Bringing the policy home, bringing the policy down

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:32:29 +0000

I am a linguist currently serving in the U.S. military. Next June will mark my 10th year of enlistment at which point I plan to reenlist. After June of 2010 I plan to start bringing my boyfriend to unit functions where spouses and significant others are commonly present. It is up to all of you how the rest of this scenario plays out. Please do not relent. There are tens of thousands like me who need your support.

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:16:12 +0000

bryanKCMO and joysmith: you both make excellent points. We need ENDA as well as the repeal of DADT. Because the military has tried to make homosexuality “unspeakable,” they have in effect tied the tongues of military personnel so the heavy lifting must be done by civilians. What I don’t understand is why we are such wusses. This policy is outrageous and the large majority of citizens oppose it. It should be easy to get rid of it. But Obama is weak. He so wants to be loved by the generals that he is not willing to do anything. And our leaders are equally timid. There should be civil disobedience, direct action, demonstrations at recruiting stations and on college campuses against this absurd policy. And yet all we have are press conferences. Maybe we deserve being second-class citizens. So many of us are comfortable sitting in the back of the bus.

By: joy smith

joy smith — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:39:20 +0000

I try to talk about it all I can. Yet, as I working in the Army I can only say so much. Soldiers who wish to speack out about DADT risk much. We have no voice. All of you must voice this for us.

By: bryanKCMO

bryanKCMO — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:02:26 +0000

“Many of us work without domestic partner benefits or even protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation, but we are not – by force of law or even employee policy – required to lie about our lives to our co-workers and bosses.”

Many of us do have to lie or risk losing our jobs. Where I live there is no law saying my boss cant fire me because I’m gay. And every boss I’ve had is the conservative white male religious type that wouldnt hesitate to fire someone based on their sexual orientation. Repealing DADT is extremely important but so is passing a ENDA so that the rest of us can work and live without fear of being fired. We need legislation to protect ALL of our community.

By: Sarrellec

Sarrellec — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:53:46 +0000

With all of the support as listed in this article, WHY are we still having to mount this kind of pressure?
Because we no longer have any control of our government and they’re going to do whatever makes them the most money from the richest people.
That’s it.
Our government has been bought. They (Senators and Representatives) freely admit that they will do what the lobbyists who own them tell them to do.
It used to be called “graft”.
Now, it’s just business as usual.

By: Joy M.

Joy M. — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:39:28 +0000

I’m taking my hat off to our gay veterans. I’m shaking my head at our elected officials. Just do it. We go to war with less thought than these people pass a bill.

By: Lisa W.

Lisa W. — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:38:10 +0000

I hope and pray we don’t blow our moment. If we wait too long to repeal this policy, we’ll be into general election fever. Obama will be campaigning again in 2011. We have to act by then.

By: Berta S.

Berta S. — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:36:13 +0000

I talked over the policy with my cubicle mates this morning. What an exhilerating way to start the day. And important.