Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyOctober 12th, 2009
This is David Morgan characterizing CBS News Chief Political Correspondent John Dickerson’s description of the administration’s prioritization of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.
John Dickerson says the message from the administration is: Don’t hold your breath.
The indication from the White House is they want to show the president is still committed to this, but that it’s further down on the list of priorities,” Dickerson told “Early Show” anchor Harry Smith. “He’s got a lot in front of him, and the big question is how much political capital he’ll put behind this. Will he pressure Congress? Will he pressure the Pentagon?
“There’s just no indication right now that he’s going to spend his political capital in that way.”
This didn’t come from a White House Staffer, named or unnamed. It’s Morgan’s summation of Dickerson’s observations, which is consistent with what we’ve seen so far. No political capital.
Latest Posts
Featured Reports
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.
The FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.
“Google” is a trademark of Google Inc.
© Box Turtle Bulletin. All Rights Reserved.
Posts 
Posts via daily email:
Lindoro Almaviva
October 12th, 2009
OK, let me try to understand this:
We are in a time of war…
The commanders in those war fronts are seriously understaffed…
The commanders of said war fronts are begging for more soldiers…
The military will continue dismissing soldiers because they are gay…
Makes sense to me.
[/sarcasm]
Richard W. Fitch
October 12th, 2009
With approximately 70% of the voters in favor of repeal and the military printing op-eds both in MSM and their own journals calling for repeal, how much ‘political capital’ does Obama need to persuade Congress that DADT no longer serves any viable purpose ….. as though it ever did?????
Leonard Drake
October 12th, 2009
I don’t know whether I am actually at the point of switching parties (from either Democratic to Independent, or Democratic to Green), but…
I, for one, am growing sick and tired of being used for my “capital” at election time, promised the LGBT community will not be forgotten by the Democratic party at the Federal level, and when a wonderful opportunity now arrives, “there is no indication that [Obama]’s going to spend his political capital in that way.” Once again, the LGBT community has been swept back into the political closet of “‘that’ way.”
When will this change? If DADTDP is NOT acted upon soon, I fear interest will fade in the next Congressional session, as the focus of our Congressional Representatives and Senators will turn toward reelection efforts and not actual “representation.”
Burr
October 12th, 2009
Do these guys look at the polls at all? Getting rid of DADT would win them serious points and show they aren’t a bunch of do-nothings. How can they pass up such a slam dunk?
Democrats are morons, period.
Kayla
October 12th, 2009
Can he not just sign an executive order? How much political capital does that take? I think he’s stalling until he gets elected again. Giving the gays rights might turn away some votes, after all. http://www.newsy.com/videos/obama_i_will_end_don_t_ask_don_t_tell
John
October 12th, 2009
Obama lied. Why is anyone surprised?
Richard Rush
October 12th, 2009
My understanding is that Obama does NOT have the authority to end DADT by executive order, but that he DOES have the authority to impose a moratorium on the discharge (firing) of gay soldiers. Is that correct?
Kristie
October 12th, 2009
RichardRush, you are correct. Obama could sign a “stop loss order” which would put a halt to the pursuit of any further investigations and dismissals of service members during a time of war. He could have done that on his first day in office but he doesn’t seem to have the moral courage to do the right thing unless it’s going to get him something.
If he signed the stop loss order it would halt the threat to gay service members for the moment and then he could give a nudge to congress about making repeal of DADT a priority. It’s not as if they would have a fight on their hands from constituents since a vast majority of the public (even the conservative public) thinks that DADT is a pointless policy that needs to go!
Leave A Comment