Via JMG: DOD Revises DADT Discharge Procedure

In response to the murky legal waters currently swirling around DADT, the Pentagon has announced it is raising the rank of persons able to make the call to eject a gay or lesbian servicemember. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

Discharges under the military's ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy will now take the approval of the service branch secretary, and only in consultation with the defense department general counsel and the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, according to a pair of memoranda issued by senior military leadership today.

Until further notice, pursuant to a memorandum from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a follow-up memorandum from Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley, no service member can be discharged under DADT without the ''personal approval of the secretary of the military department concerned, and only in coordination with me and the General Counsel of the Department of Defense.''

The message I'm seeing is that the Pentagon intends to make it extremely hard to kick someone out.

Labels: DADT, DOD, military, Pentagon

reposted from Joe

Via JMG: Openly Gay Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns Speaks To Ellen DeGeneres

Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns & Husband J.D. Angle On "The Last Word"

JMG:

Morning View - GLAAD's Spirit Day

I haven't shaved in ten days, hence the cropping, but at least I remembered to wear purple for GLAAD's Spirit Day. Hopefully the folks at Chirpin' Chicken will find this meaningful when I leave the apartment for lunch.

L

abels: GLAAD, LGBT youth, Morning View, suicide

reposted from Joe

It Gets Better: Google Employees

Via JMG: GLAAD Promotes Oct. 20th As "Spirit Day"

GLAAD wants to turn the world purple on October 20th.

The idea behind Spirit Day, first created by teenager Brittany McMillan earlier this month, is a simple one, not dissimilar to the idea of "Spirit Week" held in many high schools, and can be summed up in three words: Everyone Rally Together. Spirit Day honors the teenagers who had taken their own lives in recent weeks. But just as importantly, it's also a way to show the hundreds of thousands of LGBT youth who face the same pressures and bullying, that there is a vast community of people who support them. Purple symbolizes 'spirit' on the rainbow flag, a symbol for LGBT Pride that was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978. As one of the event's Facebook pages says: "This event is not a seminar nor is it a rally. There is NO meeting place. All you have to do is wear purple."

I do have a lovely purple dress shirt.....

Labels: activism, GLAAD, LGBT youth, suicide

reposted by Joe

"It Gets Better" (Broadway sings for the Trevor Project)

Meghan McCain On Rachel Maddow 10/18/10

Homophobia Literally Kills: Football Game

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.

Labels: DADT, Obama administration, Palm Center, Robert Gibbs

reposted from Joe