By the Way, DADT May Be Repealed Soon...

In case you missed this last week, we moved a little closer toward ending discrimination in the military and letting all our servicemembers serve openly, honestly, and proudly. Desert Beacon, as always, describes best the situation we're in with DADT.

First, it's not IF the policy is repealed, the study is about WHEN. The March 2 memo leads with: "The President has requested that the Congress repeal 10 U.S.c. § 654, "Policy Concerning Homosexuality in the Armed Forces," and directed the Department to consider how best to implement a repeal of this law. " (emphasis added) [DoD pdf]

Secondly, the provisions of the amendment go into effect AFTER the Pentagon implementation review. "Under the proposal, Congress would repeal the statute this year, but the current military policy would remain in place until Obama, the Defense Secretary, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certified that repeal is "consistent with the military's standards of readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion and recruitment and retention." As the text of the amendment states, "Section 654 of title 10, United States Code, shall remain in effect [the DADT section] until such time that all of the requirements and certifications required by subsection (b) are met. If these requirements and certifications are not met, section 654 of title 10, United States Code, shall remain in effect." [TWR] (emphasis added)

Third, we're well behind our allies. Of all the NATO members, only the U.S. and Turkey ban homosexuals from service. [CSM] It's difficult to argue that "good order, readiness, and unit cohesion" will be horrific problems when the allied troops fighting alongside U.S. forces find the policy anachronistic and counterproductive. The DADT policy also puts the U.S. on one of those lists the other members of which aren't the world's best neighbors: Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, and Syria also ban service by homosexuals. [CSM]

Fourth, not only are some U.S. politicians behind the curve internationally, they seem behind the issue domestically. A 2008 Military Times poll asked service members about the possible repeal of DADT, and 71% of the respondents were positive. This year a Washington Post/ABC poll found 75% of Americans in favor of ending the policy; a New York Times poll found 70% favoring repeal; and a Gallup Poll confirmed the 70% pro-repeal support. [WaPo]

Get it? Got it? Great!

And many thanks to our two fabulous Congresscritters, Dina Titus and Shelley Berkley, for co-sponsoring the DADT repeal legislation and voting for it late last week.

It's long past due for DADT to be repealed. It's harming our national security. It's incredibly unpopular. And it's flagrantly discriminatory.

It's time to let our brave LGBTQ soldiers to serve our country as all the rest of our armed forces do.