Via JMG: POST-HEARINGS: White House Holds Meeting With DADT Repeal Groups

Following today's conclusion of the Joint Chiefs' testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the White House hosted an off-the-record meeting with members of various DADT pro-repeal groups. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly that today's was the largest of several such recent meetings.

Two people who attended the meeting but asked to remain anonymous because of the off-the-record nature of the meeting told Metro Weekly that those organizations that were represented included Center for American Progress, Human Rights Campaign, Log Cabin Republicans, National Black Justice Coalition, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, OutServe, People for the American Way, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Servicemembers United, Stonewall Democrats and Third Way. [Politico's Josh Gerstein, who first reported the news, also reported that representatives from OutServe and the Palm Center attended the meeting, a fact confimed to Metro Weekly by a third attendee.] As such, it would make it the largest of several such White House meetings held about DADT repeal this year. The two attendees of the meeting said that the White House was represented at the meeting by Christopher Kang, White House legislative affairs; Christina Tchen, director of the public engagement office; Brian Bond, deputy director of public engagement; and representatives from the Domestic Policy Council and White House Counsel's Office.

According to Metro Weekly, White House representatives expressed optimism that a Senate vote on DADT will take place before the end of the year. One attendee reported that the meeting did not feel like pandering: "I know it wasn't. I've been mollified before, and this wasn't mollification."

Read Chris Geidner's full report.

Labels: Chris Geidner, DADT, Obama administration, Senate, White House

posted by Joe

Via JMG: Quote Of The Day - Oliver North

"Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Hideki Tojo tried and failed. Mao Zedong, Nikita Khrushchev and Ho Chi Minh couldn't do it. But commander in chief Barack Obama may well succeed where others could not. If he has his way, he will demolish the finest force for good in the history of mankind — the U.S. armed forces. And he wants to make it all happen before the end of the year.

"Nearly 25 percent of those now serving — and as many as 32 percent of Marines — said they are likely to leave the service rather than be assigned to live with and serve beside active homosexuals. This potential attrition — while more than 150,000 troops are serving in harm's way — hasn't diminished the O-Team's zeal for repeal. When Sen. John McCain confronted Mullen with this consequence from allowing homosexuals into the military, the admiral replied, 'We'll deal with that.' Gates, ever sympathetic to the needs of our troops, observed, 'They can't just up and leave.'

"No, they can't. But when they come home, they can vote with their feet. Is wrecking the world's finest military the price we have to pay for a campaign promise?" - Accused drug trafficker Oliver North.

Labels: assholism, DADT, Oliver North, Quote Of The Day

reposted from Joe

Via Huffington:

• Sen. Bernie Sanders...
• Edward Norton...
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein...

Aaron Belkin: Republicans Have Abandoned the Military Over Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Director, Palm Center, University of California

Back when Senator John McCain was a straight talker, he said that if military leadership ever told him that repealing "don't ask, don't tell" would be in the best interest of the forces, then he would change his views on the matter. That was then and this is now. McCain has joined in lockstep with his Republican colleagues. Republicans are now revealing that they don't care what's good for the military, or about known facts regarding don't ask, don't tell and its effect on military cohesion and performance. They cares about one thing and one thing only: prejudice. And when it comes to prejudice, all they want is more.

Read Post | Comments (82)

Via Box Trutle: Couple recognition, state by state

Upon the governor’s signature, Illinois will become the second state that is currently offering civil unions to same-sex couples. The status of the various recognition mechanisms is as follows:

Marriage on the same terms as heterosexual marriage – 5.1% of US Population:
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Iowa
Vermont
New Hampshire
District of Columbia

Civil Unions – a rights except the name – 7.1% of US Population:
New Jersey
Illinois
Domestic Partnerships will all the rights except the name – 16.3% of US Population
California
Oregon
Washington
Nevada
Limited recognition of same-sex couples – 6.2% of US Population
Hawaii – Reciprocal Benefits
Colorado – Reciprocal Benefits
Wisconsin – Domestic Partnerships
Maine – Domestic Partnerships
Maryland – Domestic Partnerships
In addition, the states of Maryland and New York (6.4% of US Population) will give full recognition to same-sex marriages conducted where legal. Rhode Island may possibly do so also (it’s a bit uncertain) and offers unregistered Domestic Partnerships with a scant handful of rights.
Also, there are dozens of cities offer some form of recognition and protection for same-sex couples.

Tags: California, Civil Unions, Colorado, Connecticut, Domestic Partnerships, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Marriage, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Washington DC, Wisconsin

Categories: Advocacy

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Via JMG: Rachel Maddow - Military's Racial Integration A Precedent For DADT Repeal?

Via JMG: European Parliament Says Gay Unions Must Be Recognized By All EU Members

The European Parliament has declared that official documents such as marriage, civil union, birth, and death certificates must be recognized by all members of the European Union. Rex Wockner reports at Pink Paper:

"This is a great development for the many couples and families who see their fundamental rights diminished every day when crossing a border inside the EU," said Ulrike Lunacek, co-president of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights. Co-President Michael Cashman said the statement adopted by the Parliament "follows the Commission's assertion in September that freedom of movement must be guaranteed for all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation." "Claims that mutual recognition will undermine national sovereignty are plain wrong; it won't affect national marriage or partnership laws, but simply recognize civil unions that already exist," Cashman said.

Same-sex marriage is legal in the EU member nations of Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Civil unions or partnerships are recognized in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.

Labels: civil unions, European Union, LGBT rights, marriage equality

reposted from Joe
 

Via JMG: SHOCKER: The Wealthy White Men At GOProud Want To Keep Their Tax Cuts At The Expense Of Homosexuals

Don't fall out of your chairs, but the wealthy white men at gay billionaire funded GOProud have endorsed the GOP's plan to hold the nation hostage unless America's millionaires get richer. GOProud executive director Jimmy LaSalvia:

“Senate Republicans are absolutely right. It is time that Democrats in the Senate stop playing political games with our economy. If Democrats are truly interested in getting to other important lame-duck issues, like the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, then they should act immediately to prevent jobs-killing tax increases. The American people are watching, now is the time for Democrats to decide what they want more – tax increases or repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The choice is theirs.”

One thing about kapo bootlickers at GOProud, we alway$ know where their prioritie$ lie.

Labels: assholism, GOP, GOProud, Jimmy LaSalvia, kapos, Quislings, taxes

Once, When We Were Heroes

It Gets Better: San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Via HimalayaCrafts:

I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act. - Buddha
❉• Tashi Delek •❉ 

Via HimalayaCrafts:

HimalayaCrafts

 

A truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively or hurt you. - Dalai Lama

❉• Namaste •❉

Via JMG: Maddow on DADT and Obama

Via JMG: DADT Survey Reactions

Senators Gillibrand, Udall, and Liebermann

"The Pentagon report makes it unambiguously clear that the risk of repeal on military effectiveness is minimal, that any risks can be addressed by implementing the report’s recommendations, and that a clear majority of active duty servicemen and women have no problem with repeal. The military has spoken and now is the time to repeal this policy that is damaging to our national security. The report is the product of one of the most, if not the most, extensive studies on a military personnel issue that has ever been conducted and its findings demonstrate that we can proceed with repeal of this discriminatory policy in a way that ensures that the U.S. military continues to be the best fighting force in the world. Men and women, regardless of their race, religion, or sexual orientation, who are willing to fight and defend our country should be allowed to do so without fear of discrimination."

Servicemembers United

"This thorough and comprehensive report makes clear to lawmakers and the American people once and for all that the U.S. military is capable of handling the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' The questions are now answered and the debate is now settled," said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and a former U.S. Army Human Intelligence Collector who was discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." "It's now up to the Senate to bring the defense authorization bill back to the floor, allow 10 to 20 amendments to be debated on each side, and get this bill passed. We have the votes now if the process is fair."

People For The American Way

“For years, the Right has fought to preserve the discriminatory, ineffective Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, claiming that allowing gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country would put American troops in harm’s way. The Defense Department’s comprehensive study exposes this ugly, dishonest fear-mongering for what it is. The vast majority of U.S. troops do not feel threatened by serving alongside gays and lesbians, and our military leaders say repealing the policy won’t put national security at risk—in fact, the opposite is true. Allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly makes all of us safer. The arguments for keeping Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell have come up empty. It’s time for the Senate to listen to our troops, to the courts, to the majority of Americans, and to their own common sense, and end this failed experiment in discrimination once and for all.”

Stonewall Democrats

"Recent statements by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and even Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) that more study needs to take place before repeal are just stall tactics, especially given the thorough, year-long process that the Defense Department undertook to study the issue of repeal. We also find it ironic that the Senators said that the upper chamber should be talking about jobs and not ‘political’ issues like DADT repeal. We remind the Senators that DADT is about jobs: the jobs of thousands of soldiers, some of them mission critical and irreplaceable, who were discharged from the military because of the discriminatory DADT. DADT repeal is not some fringe issue being pushed by a small minority; it is an issue supported by a large majority of Americans and now, we find with the official release of the study, by an equally large majority of the military."

OutServe

"This report definitely answers the question of the impact of DADT repeal on the military. Specifically, knowing a soldier is gay has no negative impact on readiness," said Jonathan Hopkins, former Army Captain and veteran of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We've known this for a long time. Among military members who know they've served with someone gay, 92% said that repeal would have little or no negative effect on military readiness. 69% of servicemembers who responded to the survey said they served with someone they knew or suspected was gay. "This study gets to the facts, and exposes the invented argument of 'unit cohesion' as a myth," said Hopkins. "Those who've served with gay or lesbian soldiers, Marines, or servicemembers of any stripe recognize that gay troops have – as the Pentagon report says – a 'patriotic desire to serve' as well as a 'desire to fit in, coexist, and succeed in the military environment.'""I don't want any special treatment. I just want them to take the knife out of my back so I can serve," said an anonymous gay Marine on the OutServe network.

Human Rights Campaign

“This issue has been studied for fifty years, including by the military itself, and the results from over twenty-two studies are uniform: open service does not harm effectiveness,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The small handful of Senators blocking repeal no longer have any fig leaves behind which to hide. The time for repeal is now.” “America’s men and women in uniform are professionals who already serve with gays and lesbians and repeal will do nothing to change their dedication to protecting our nation,” said Solmonese. “Senators who said they want to hear from military leaders and troops now have their answers. Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will allow every qualified man and woman to serve without sacrificing the high standards that have made our military great.”

Labels: DADT, HRC, Joe Lieberman, Kirsten Gillibrand, People For The American Way, Stonewall Democrats

posted by Joe

Via JMG: DADT Study Results Are Out

The Washington Post has leaked the results of the hotly-awaited DADT survey, which is not due to be officially released until later this afternoon.

According to a survey sent to 400,000 service members, 69 percent of those responding reported that they had served with someone in their unit who they believed to be gay or lesbian. Of those who did, 92 percent stated that their unit's ability to work together was very good, good, or neither good nor poor, according to the sources. Combat units reported similar responses, with 89 percent of Army combat units and 84 percent of Marine combat units saying they had good or neutral experiences working with gays and lesbians. At the same time, the report found that 30 percent of those surveyed overall -- and between 40 and 60 percent of the Marine Corps -- either expressed concern or predicted a negative reaction if Congress were to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" law, which allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military on the condition that they keep their sexuality a secret.

It appears that a rather large percentage of soldiers (particularly Marines) have had no problem working with gay servicemembers, yet still don't want DADT to be repealed.

Labels: DADT, LGBT rights, military, Pentagon

posted by Joe

Via Utne:

Can AIDS be cured? Discussion of an endgame has been creeping back over the past few years. Read More >>

Via JMG: Chase Whiteside - It Gets Better

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Whiteside

Via JMG: MSNBC's Thomas Roberts: "It gets better"

GibbsReportDADT

Quote of the day via Frank Lilly:

"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit." (Unknown)