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US Military Accepts Openly Gay Recruits
'Don't ask, don't tell' policy suffers another blow, but activists still warn applicants not to reveal sexuality
America's military yesterday began accepting openly gay recruits into its ranks for the first time in its history as the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy suffered another serious blow.
A recruiting station in Times Square, New York. A judge ruled that the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy was illegal. Photograph: Chris Hondros/Getty Images The move
comes after California judge Virginia Phillips ruled last week that the
policy – which had previously seen openly gay soldiers kicked out of the
US armed services – was illegal, and ordered a global injunction to
halt it.
Though the Obama administration is seeking to appeal against that legal decision, the Pentagon has now told its recruiters across the country to accept applications from openly gay men and women.
However, the situation remains dogged by uncertainty. Some gay rights activists have warned that gay applicants should still not reveal their sexuality for fear that the policy may be reinstated if the government's appeal is successful. At the same time, the Pentagon advice to military recruiters directs them not to inquire of a person's sexuality, and not to disqualify any candidates who openly admit to being gay. It also adds that any such recruits should be warned that "don't ask, don't tell" could come back into force if the legal injunction quashing it is overturned.
"If they were to self-admit that they are gay and want to enlist, we will process them for enlistment, but will tell them that the legal situation could change," Douglas Smith, spokesman for US army recruiting command based at Fort Knox in Kentucky, told the Associated Press.
Getting rid of "don't ask, don't tell" has long been one of the main aims of gay rights groups in America, who argue that it is highly discriminatory in a way that would not be tolerated of any other social group. But it has now become a political headache for the Obama administration.
The president has frequently publicly committed himself to ditching the ban, but has stated he wants it to be removed by a vote in Congress, not by the actions of a judge. As such, the department of justice has committed itself to appealing against the injunction halting the policy in the hope of getting rid of it later with a political vote.
Many Republicans, including former presidential candidate John McCain, have spoken out in favour of keeping the ban. Previous attempts to ditch it with a congressional vote have failed and Obama's political influence on such a controversial subject is waning as Democrats gear up for a potentially devastating defeat in November's midterm elections.
That has left gay groups arguing that the best option to get rid of an unjust practice is simply not to appeal against Phillips's ruling, which the judge herself reinforced yesterday by refusing a government legal request to delay enforcement of her injunction. That was met by further delight among gay rights organisations.
"[We] applaud Justice Phillips for her leadership helping end such a discriminatory policy," said a statement from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
The uncertain status of the law has caused much confusion within an institution that has historically discriminated against gay people. Before the 1993 law, the military banned them and declared them incompatible with military service.
There have been instances in which gays have served, with the knowledge of their colleagues.
Twenty-nine nations, including Israel, Canada, Germany and Sweden, allow openly gay troops, according to the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group and plaintiff in the lawsuit before Phillips.
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40 Comments so far
Show AllShame on gays and straights for joining the mob.
Stay out.
Don't become a contract killer. Be pro-peace.
Delia -- I agree!
I was going to write a very similar post, but I see you are already there.
The only thing I will add -- now that gays are legally able to join and be a part of the MIC, I'd like to see them join in protesting all military operations -- and the bases that make up the U.S. empire around the world.
"Don't become a contract killer. Be pro-peace." -- delia_darrow
Well said!
Gays and Lesbians have been amongst the most radical of the antiwar/anticapitalist protests for years.
For a long time, Chicago had a group called "Queer to the Left" - no longer in the Chicago area myself, so I haven't kept up with them. I remember one time they shamed Dick Devine, the Chicago prosecutor at the time who refused to prosecute any of the torture allegations against Birge (that have since been proven in court). He was supposed to be in the "gay pride parade" in Chicago, and was for a bit, until he decided after a few blocks of hearing "who let the pigs out, dick dick dick dick" as he passed by (to the tune of "who let the dogs out") and took off on a side street abandoning the rest of the parade.
Of course, the fact that the majority of the "organized left" of this country has either abandoned the LGBTQ crowd after election time (i.e. democrats) or demonized them in their writings as a "bourgoise perversion" like the ISO has, kinda turns most off. The only "faction" on the left that has openly embraced their queer kindred is the Anarchists. Then again, that is the only "faction" that historically has not shown that their main desire is to replace the current ruling class with their own vanguard as the new ruling class.
"Then again, that is the only "faction" that historically has not shown that their main desire is to replace the current ruling class with their own vanguard as the new ruling class."–(herdpoisoning)
–Correct, making it difficult to trust, and certainly not believe in, its ability to ever articulate anything but a reactionary, accommodationist position vis a vis American fascism.
Frankly, the prospects are not encouraging. But the same can be said of any such 'minority' in America, or in fact, the American people in whatever 'grouping' whatsoever, and sadly–as a whole– making all such oppositional articulations all but impossible.
Yes.
Sailing into 'normalcy' on fascist wings– unfortunately does more than shame. It identifies one as becoming the enemy by a willing collaboration with, and capitulation to said enemy.
But what is worse, is that this abdication does not even recognize this enemy for what it is, thus making the activity itself unconscionable.
That this has been fallaciously 'framed' as a civil rights issue, not only violates the 'framers,' but violates and traduces the very meaning of civil rights themselves, an act of denigration verging on the sacrilegious.
The acceptance of 'out' gays in the military is a victory for the military and grievous defeat for what is best in the struggle for civil rights, gay or other.
Now why would a nice young gay person want to join the Imperial Stormtroopers?
Most of these players are into wearingg uniforms. But it's hard to find the ones wearing the wh9ite hats.
What interests me is why the Obama administration is appealing the ruling of Judge Phillips. Is it afraid a precedent is going to be said where laws prejudicing constitutional rights are going to going to be questioned and overturned? Most certainly. Is it afraid it may open the door to charges of war crimes and non-compliance with the Geneva Conventions to which the US Government is a signatory and therefore obliged to respect and enforce? Perhaps.
Are we going to get a straigt answer to this question? Highly unlikely.
You are wrong.
from wikipedia
The Clinton Administration on December 21, 1993,[18] issued Defense Directive 1304.26, which directed that military applicants were not to be asked about their sexual orientation.[16] This is the policy now known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
It was not passed by Congress, it is basically like an executive order, originating entirely within the Executive Branch. Not only is it not required that the SG defend it, it would take nothing more than a stroke of Obama's pen to change it.
The Taliban will be able to kill an American, Christian and Homosexual all with one shot. Gotta be worth 85 virgins in heaven.
Well, maybe. The Christian AND homosexual part could be a bit dicey depending on the admission requirements for the sect in question and its preferred biblical injunctions. Many U.S. versions of Christianity seem quite intent on their Old Testament Judaic law inheritance these days -- plus that weird Book of Revelation, of course.
Not so fast. Look here:
"Court Keeps Military Gay Policy for Now"
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/us/21recruit.html?th&emc=th
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Wednesday temporarily stalled the landmark court decision allowing openly gay recruits to be accepted into the military.
In response to an emergency request from the government, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, issued a one-page order late in the day allowing the Pentagon to continue enforcing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, which bars openly gay, lesbian and bisexual service members.
The decision, which returns the law to the status quo before a Federal District Court judge in California prohibited its enforcement, will be in effect while the appeals court considers whether to issue a longer stay, until February, when the Ninth Circuit will hear the full appeal. A decision about the longer stay could occur as early as next week; the Log Cabin Republicans, which brought the legal challenge to the law, were told to prepare briefs on the issues by Monday.
The stay almost certainly means the government will go back to enforcing the law as it did before the lower court issued an injunction against it.
Dan Woods, the lawyer for the Log Cabin Republicans, called the stay a “minor setback” and predicted a victory on the question of the long-term stay. “We didn’t come this far to quit now,” he said.
The stay was issued after military recruiting stations got a brief taste of what life might be like in a world without “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Many consider the decision by the military to begin accepting openly gay applicants before the stay as a landmark moment in American history. But for William Kelley, a young man thinking about enlisting, it was just an overdue act of common sense.
“It was a terrible rule,” said Mr. Kelley, an unemployed 25-year-old who was leaving a recruiting office in Washington after getting results for an aptitude exam for the Navy. “It’s the type of thing we’ll look back on and feel ashamed of.”
-----------
Ha ha! Check out this Kelley kid. Still, he doesn't see the light. Oh, heavens help them...and the rest of us!
So just how are individual and group "liberation, freedom, and equality" achieved by joining a global authoritarian organization that delivers murderous oppression and repression all over the world? So is the working slogan something like "My personal liberation will be achieved by helping with your repression."...via torture, murder, mayhem, destroying your homes and communities working with the most powerful military in the world using high tech globe girdling technology to blow up your mud brick homes, kill farmers in their fields, devastate whole cities, etc. etc. Wow, what a vision and program!
If any further proof were needed that sexual orientation (or sex itself, for that matter) doesn't predetermine anyone's affinity for militaristic undertakings, ...
It is a bit naive to expect heightened awareness from all gay people about the real purpose in life of the military, or the relationship of sexual minorities to other minorities—not necessarily in numbers but in being treated as potentially dangerous deviants—but there was a time when solidarity across race, class, and gender lines was more than a pipe dream and not everyone has forgotten that:
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/suspect200610.html
http://www.zcommunications.org/stonewall-was-a-riot-by-michael-bronski
"It is a bit naive to expect heightened awareness from all gay people ..."
It certainly is, but I'm not quite sure exactly how you think that relates to my comment. Surely it must be obvious to the meanest intelligence (gay or otherwise) that joining the military is likely to involve some considerable measure of affinity for militaristic undertakings that very possibly include killing other people, regardless of the alleged "good guy" purposes thereof.
Someone said a better description of humans is that we're "rationalizing animals" instead of "rational animals". My point is that while many gay people are buying into the tropes of wider society—howsoever nonsensical—to be able to claim we're "just like everybody else", there are other strands that link gender related struggles to race and class struggles. People like Judith Butler, by courageously confronting those who have cozied up to mainstream cant, are keeping that tradition going.
"there are other strands that link gender related struggles to race and class struggles. " –(m156)
–Indeed! Yet that is exactly what they are, 'strands,' and micro-tonal ones at that, verging on the ineffectual, if not the fey.
These 'other strands' simply because they exist, do not serve to legitimize the debacle epitomized by the deliberate failure of the mainstream gay trope to incorporate true solidarity with the larger class and racial struggles which rightfully should subsume it.
While such 'resistance' may rage as a formal discourse in the confines of the university, their efficacy in the larger struggles of which you speak– are so marginal as to be non-existent– more akin to a solipsistic 'cult,' than an operational praxis of liberation from the generalized modes of domination.
Judith Butler's work–as important as it is– remains ensconced– no corseted–in the conventions of academia and the arcane, which one can hardly call a resistance except in those severely delimited circles who can utilize her important critical formulations and be influenced by them.
This assessment is not to disparage her work, as its influence and welcome evolution, continues to tug on the margins of the mainstream tropes, and serves as subversive intellectual fodder for those struggling against the despicable capitulations and collaborations– now all but endemic– in so called 'gender' related struggles.
The diversionary right wing non issue of 'gays in the military' is only the most salient one, save only in comparison with the rebarbative issue of 'gay marriage,' which is the very apotheosis of coaptation and reaction.
True, it is a slender strand, and I agree academic writings of Butler are not likely to have much of an effect on the wider world, but what she did in Berlin was courageous and hopefully will embolden others to confront "homonationalist" politicos and loose cannons like Peter Tatchell who appears to exult in his role as an Establishment-friendly gadfly ("comforting the comforted, and afflicting the afflicted"):
http://www.xtalkproject.net/?p=415
Thanks for the link, and I could not agree with you more regarding Judy in Berlin.
–(Kim)
Please think long and hard before jopning the military. The pentagon lies, cheats and takes advantage of our youth and misdirected "patriotism." I mistakenly believed the hogwash they fed me till it was too late and had to swallow my pride, values and waste 23 years of my life based on lies and manipulation. Gay or straight, stay out and do something WORTHWHILE with your life. Wage peace, not empire!!
Veterans such as yourself who question their service are the true heroes. No other group has quite the same moral authority to criticize the U.S. imperial machine. I've been lucky enough not to have to enlist, but when I do argue against empire, I always try to repeat the anti-war positions of ex-soldiers.
While you feel that you have wasted 23 years of your life, I hope you have many more years to speak out. Your perspective has real value.
Thank you.
Does this come in anything but green??
what about the paedophiles?
No change. They are still encouraged to enlist.
same as murderers and rapists then.
when all the sociopaths have enlisted and been shipped overseas, america should be a much safer place.
And that includes the entire Tea Party, all homophobes and bigots, and the entire American congress & White House.
There'd still be a lot of trash left behind though. Each people has the government it deserves. The US Government's just a reflection of the American people.
Preliminary work for instituting a draft, in a few years - the Pentagon thinks long term. With a draft, being gay would become real popular!
Too bloody bad that the military itself isn't the controversial subject, but I suppose Americans will have to learn to walk upright, grow opposable thumbs and wake, as the world must wake, from the thousands-of-years-old delusion. To pun on the title of Chris Hedges' book: 'War Is A Farce That Gives Us Mourning'.
And agreed, Delia and Kay, et. al., shame on all who join. The best way to get the obscenity under control is for there to be a mass refusal to enlist, and mass desertions within.
But in an America with its racism, hatreds, ignorance, cowardice in the face of the coup d'etat and the corporate fascism, and herd instinct to follow the loudest, stupidest fear-mongers...?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sgt._Leonard_Matlovich_(13203725).jpg
I can understand why people would not want others to join the military, but remember that the US (and other nations) enjoy their standard of living because of military conquest (directly or indirectly). There's a reason "developing" nations are so poor- their resources have been stolen. Can't have your cake and eat it too.
so go ahead and commit crimes against humanity, but i won't cover your back.
I couldn't care less. For as much as I support the LGTB movement and their rights, I truly couldn't care less about this one. Imagine, fighting to have the right to invade foreign soils for oil and kill innocent women and children. Sorry, guys, you're on your own!
don't miss the opportunity to prove you gays and lesbians can outdo the hetero-sexuals in killing, stealing, and oppressing others.
i have no doubt you can, though.
you've all said it so well!
TOLERANCE is the real issue, our common dream. taking up arms to destroy lands and people is the height of intolerance.
if you haven't listened to democracy now! yet today. it's a must! guest, jeff sharlet, discusses "c" street christian zealots as relates to the world-wide rise of anti-gay fervor. with whom, how and why another chooses a mate is of no concern, but killing our neighbors who have a different culture, THAT i cannot TOLERATE!
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/21/anti_gay_fervor_in_uganda_tied