Opinions of a Wandering Waif

Injunction strikes down enforcement of DADT - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times http://t.co/RH6wcwb

WASHINGTON (Aug. 16) — The military is throwing out women disproportionately under its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, even as the number of service members discharged for being gay reached a new low last year.

According to Pentagon statistics released by the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, 428 service members were discharged in 2009 under the policy that President Barack Obama has vowed to end. That’s the lowest number since the policy began in 1994 and continues a steady decline that began after the 9/11 attacks.

Meanwhile, the Army lost one of its top West Point cadets this past week when Katherine Miller, a lesbian, resigned because of the policy.

More than 13,500 gays and lesbians have been discharged since the policy began. In 2001, the peak year for discharges, 1,273 were removed from the military for being gay.

As in past years, the policy affected women in greater numbers than men:

[…]

The data also showed that in the midst of two wars, the military continued to discharge highly trained service members in mission-critical areas. Among those ousted for being gay: seven combat engineers, eight linguists, 20 infantrymen and 16 medical aides.

“These data show, yet again, that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ undermines national security,” said Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center, a gay-rights advocacy group that focuses on military issues. “Why are we firing linguists and infantrymen in the middle of two wars?”

[…]

Via Joe.My.God:

Ben Smith reports at Politico:

The gay soldiers arrested outside the White House protesting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will announce today that they’re demanding that President Obama testify in their trial on minor civil disobedience charges. Their novel argument: Obama himself called on gay rights advocates to pressure him, so they were just following orders. “Don’t Ask” has energized gay rights activists frustrated with the White House’s deliberate pace, even as Democratic leaders are frustrated with continued protests, as repeal is on track for next year.

Read a statement from their lawyers here. An excerpt:

The subpoena of the President is necessary for the defense to prove that Defendants were following and obeying lawful orders or directives by their President and Commander in Chief, and were therefore under an obligation and authority to act as they did in order to pressure him - in a non-violent, visible way - on this important public issue. In addition, these statements support the contention that Defendants were acting out of necessity, in order to prevent discrimination and greater harm to gay servicemembers now serving.

Congressman Patrick Murphy, lead House sponsor of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, in an interview with the Advocate. (via c-newt) (via warrennotg) (via notthatkindagay) (via steampunkanachronism)

Republican Missouri State Senator Gary Nodler, who is challenging GOP Congressman Roy Blunt for his seat, says overturning DADT would be “a cultural affront,” and “directly threaten the lives of soldiers today.” Or, as Tony Messenger in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch summed it up:

Nodler’s argument: The Muslim nations of Iraq and Afghanistan, where America is fighting two wars, are opposed to homosexuality. Changing “Don’t ask, don’t tell” would offend the terrorists in such a way that could put soldiers — and America — at risk of further terrorist attacks.

Nodler says it’s not about offending terrorist:

I never said that this would be a cultural affront to terrorists. I don’t care what they think. I said it would be a cultural affront to the Muslims in who’s country we are operating. We can not win the hearts and minds of the people by insulting them and ignoring the standards of their culture. This is about the people who live there and the armies we are serving with. Your comment makes the common mistake that all Muslims are terrorists.

If the other cultures are offended by women who serve, should we remove the from the  military, then?

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The mind reels. ~ waif

nihilistidealist:

fuckyeahlesbians:

This is huge, folks!

Lt. Dan Choi, after coming out to the nation on The Rachel Maddow Show last year, became the face of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal movement. Our friends over at The Bilerico Project report today that Lt. Choi is back in uniform — and back in service, despite a military hearing that recommended discharge eight months ago.

FUCK.
YEAH.

Awesome!