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 lobbyDecember 22nd, 2009
Today ninety-six Congressmen, 22% of the House, requested that the Pentagon provide documentation on discharged gay servicemen. (press release)
Today, ninety-six members of Congress sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates requesting all 2009 “don’t ask, don’t tell” discharge data in an effort to ready their arguments for the impending 2010 debate on the gay ban. The letter was authored by Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA), a member of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee and was signed by Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), lead sponsor of the bill to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Members are requesting up-to-date information on the number of service members discharged in 2009 under the Obama Administration as well as information about their job specialties, years of service and branch in which they served.
It seems that this Congressional caucus will not be allowing discharges to be conducted without scrutiny or notice. (letter)
To increase transparency on the effects the DADT policy is having on our military and by extension our national defense, we request that the Office of the Secretary of Defense provide data on the current number of DADT discharges since January 1, 2009 to the present, no later than January 15, 2010. In addition, we request monthly reports thereafter to Congress detailing the number of enlisted service members and officers discharged under the policy including their job specialty (MOS), time in the service and branch of the military.
This is an effort to pressure the White House and the military to begin the process of fulfilling the President’s campaign promise to reverse this discriminatory policy. Clearly, if the President chooses not to take the lead on this issue, a sizable number of delegates in his own party are willing to embarrass him.
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scotte
December 22nd, 2009
The other invisible cost of DADT is in the number of military personnel who choose not to re-up because they cannot continue to live the lie. My evidence is purely anecdotal, but I suspect the number is substantially higher than the forced discharges.
I wonder if any effort has been made to quantify those numbers.
Aaron
December 22nd, 2009
I may be a fool but I really want to believe that once the president gets his health-care bill through we’ll see him mobilize on the human rights front.
I am praying that this will be so…
Curtis
December 23rd, 2009
Perhaps this will be a tangible step towards repeal.
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