Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Via JMG: Enormous Consequences
The Palm Center has launched Enormous Consequences, a website created in reaction to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' recent statement about the overturn of DADT.Above is a clock with the running total of hours during which gays have been allowed to serve openly, as well as a chart with the number of reported consequences of the new policy. The Palm Center has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for documentation on all negative consequences that result from the new policy.
Via JMG; Military Recruiters Told To Accept Gays
The Pentagon today told armed services recruiters to begin accepting openly gay men and women into the military.Spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said Tuesday that top-level guidance has been issued to recruiting commands informing them that the military's "don't ask, don't tell" rule has been suspended for now. Recruiters also have been told to inform potential recruits that the moratorium could be reversed at any point.Groups like Servicemembers United have cautioned those already serving not to come out until the DOJ's appeal is (hopefully) resolved in their favor.
Via JMG: "Hang Them": Uganda Paper Publishes Names And Photos Of "Top 100 Homos"
CBS News today picked up on the story of a Uganda newspaper publishing the names and photos of the country's so-called "top 100 homos." The yellow banner under the headline reads "Hang Them!" In the days since it was published, at least four gay Ugandans on the list have been attacked and many others are in hiding, according to rights activist Julian Onziema. One person named in the story had stones thrown at his house by neighbors. A lawmaker in this conservative African country introduced a bill a year ago that would have imposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts and life in prison for others. An international uproar ensued, and the bill was quietly shelved. But gays in Uganda say they have faced a year of harassment and attacks since the bill's introduction. The legislation was drawn up following a visit by leaders of U.S. conservative Christian ministries that promote therapy they say allows gays to become heterosexual. "Before the introduction of the bill in parliament most people did not mind about our activities. But since then, we are harassed by many people who hate homosexuality," said Patrick Ndede, 27. "The publicity the bill got made many people come to know about us and they started mistreating us."Box Turtle Bulletin, the leading U.S.-based blog for LGBT issues in Uganda, has been all over this story since it first broke on October 4th. BTB's Jim Burroway reports that many of the published photos were harvested from Gaydar and Facebook profiles. Last week BTB noted that Rolling Stone (unrelated to the U.S. music title) had been shut down by the government for reasons that may or may not be related to the "top 100 homos" issue.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Via JMG: HomoQuotable - Jonathan Capehart
"Now, truth be told, with a stroke of a pen, Obama could end don't ask don't tell through a back-door maneuver such as a 'stop loss' order. Meaning all troops who come out or are revealed to be gay or lesbian would not be discharged. The rationale could be that because the nation is at war it needs every ready, willing and able servicemember. And it would be the single-most irresponsible action the president could take."Leave aside the antagonism it would create between the commander in chief and the armed forces. Think of the jeopardy Obama would put gay troops in if he did sign an executive order. Once such an order is signed, gay troops would be right to want to come out of the closet to finally live their lives honestly. Here's the problem: if Obama is defeated in 2012 or is succeeded by a Republican in 2016, the new president could rescind the order.
"If the ban, which is an act of Congress, has not been repealed by Congress by then, all those gay and lesbian troops who have come out would then be in violation of the law banning them from serving openly in the military. To please a base constituency in the short term Obama will have endangered the careers of gay troops in the long term." - Jonathan Capehart, writing for the Washington Post.
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