So the odious "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy banning LGBTQ soldiers from serving openly in the military may finally be repealed... Or will it? The language is quite squishy, and at best it will allow Congress to give The White House and The Defense Department the authority to stop the discharges after studies are done. So maybe we'll see DADT repealed, but not until 2011 at the earliest and that isn't even a guarantee so long as Defense Secretary Bob Gates keeps slow-walking this.
So what do we have? Progress? Maybe. Mission Accomplished? Certainly not. Equality? Not yet.
So what's to be done? I don't know.
I guess something is better than nothing... But really, aren't we tired of saying this? Didn't President Obama promise DADT would be repealed this year? I don't remember him saying that maybe Congress would pass a measure allowing for The White House to consider repealing DADT perhaps some time next year.
What about the good soldiers being discharged for no good reason?
You know what? Lt. Choi and the folks at GetEQUAL are right. This is a positive step, but it isn't enough. President Obama needs to commit NOW to stopping the discharges as the studies are underway and Congress passes this legislation. The President can do this, so he needs to do this to show he really cares about our national security and our equality.
78% of Americans now want DADT repealed. More and more military servicemembers want DADT repealed. And now, the Senate is finally moving on the legislation to start repealing DADT.
Now the ball is in Obama's court. And since Congress looks to be putting it there, The President must act to stop the discharges NOW and get the ball rolling on formal repeal ASAP.
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