HRC and SLDN

UPDATE: The demise of the WashBlade today (Monday, Nov. 16) means the Blade link doesn't work.

Good news -- Barney Frank says DADT may be repealed in 2010, according to an article in the Washington Blade.

But if you wonder why much of our agenda has languished in Congress over the past decade, two quotes shed light on our time spent wondering in the wilderness.

On the question of the timing of DADT repeal, first we have HRC:

"Asked about Frank’s prediction for the repeal strategy, Allison Herwitt, legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, said her organization 'always takes its cues from its congressional allies.'"

Check. We wait for "cues" from the folks who are supposed to represent us about when they will act to end injustice against us. Got it.

Now, let's throw it over to Kevin Nix, spokesperson for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network:

"Nix also said SLDN is urging President Obama to include repeal as part of his defense budget request, which is expected to be delivered to Congress early next year."

Wait. What? SLDN is "urging" action by the government on our behalf? Actually "urging?" Not waiting for "cues" before asking on bended knee to stop injustice against us? You mean they're not letting others tell us "When we say so, and not before that?"

How impatient of them! Hopefully, someday they will cease being political novices and fall in line with the establishment. Then they will stop rocking the boat and making our "Congressional allies" queasy from having to actually follow through on the promises they made to us when they took our money and our votes.

Meanwhile, let's sit here on our hands and hope the "cues" will come soon.

Intolerable McCain

By now you've probably heard of Sen. John McCain's reply to SDLN on DADT: "homosexuality"...is an "intolerable risk to morale, cohesion and discipline" (via Pam).

Several comments: I believe that this letter will one day look as bigoted and ignorant as these letters contained in the Frank Kameny papers.


I have more faith in our men and women in uniform than McCain. I think they will overcome prejudice on the gay issue just as they overcame difficulties desegregating. That isn't to say that there won't ever be homophobic members of the service just as you couldn't say there are no racist soldiers currently serving, but as an institution the service will adapt, as it always has. And there's already anecdotal evidence that soldiers are more accepting about it than old has-beens like McCain.

The way McCain's letter is written, with repeated references to "homosexuals" and "homosexual behavior" puts the emphasis on sex. One could infer that in McCain's mind he's envisioning rampant dick sucking among the troops if we were to repeal DADT. That's wrong...gay men and women simply want to serve their country and have the same rights to form close human relationships just like everyone else, without having to live in fear or lie about it.

And, the last paragraph of McCain's letter (above) is just blatant hypocrisy.

It makes me sad...I have a lot of respect for McCain, the former POW and I doubt I could endure what he endured in Hanoi. But I've lost all respect for McCain the politician. He could have been a great leader. But he's sold out -- like the rest of the GOP -- to the radical religious right.