In the LGBT Community, I’m really not sure if the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is a lower or higher priority than the recognition of gay marriage, but they are both are higher priorities than the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Nevertheless, this is an important development.
The Pentagon has advised recruiting commands that they can accept openly gay and lesbian recruit candidates, given the recent federal court decision that bars the military from expelling openly gay service members, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman.
The guidance from the Personnel and Readiness office was sent to recruiting commands on Friday, according to spokeswoman Cynthia Smith.
The recruiters were told that if a candidate admits he or she is openly gay, and qualify under normal recruiting guidelines, their application can be processed. Recruiters are not allowed to ask candidates if they are gay as part of the application process.
The notice also reminded recruiters that they have to “manage expectations” of applicants by informing them that a reversal of the court decision might occur, whereby the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy could be reinstated, Smith said.
It’s standard practice for the Attorney General’s office to defend federal statutes, but the president clearly intends to end the DADT policy before the end of the year, and this move by the Pentagon should make that clear. The Senate Republicans appear to be fairly unified in their hatred of gay people, so I don’t think we can pass ENDA or repeal the DOMA, but that depends on the results of the Senate elections.
It’s over. They’re not going to be bouncing gay folks in and out of the military every week.
In the immortal words of Bone McCoy: “He’s dead, Jim”.
I believe poker players call it a “tell”.
Child psychiatrist (and frustrated novelist) Robert Coles years ago wrote a young adult novel about school desegregation in Boston titled “Saving Face”.
For the past few months I’ve had a growing sense that is what Obama and Gates are doing with DADT. They’ve adopted (and stuck to) a strategy of allowing the generals to go through a “process” whereby it’s the military’s decision to recommend repealing DADT…as long as they decide by the end of this year. The country gets an end to DADT; the military chiefs get to save face.
Since the policy exists because of the “Powell mutiny” of 1993, there’s a certain justice (and a certain political savviness) in pushing the decision back onto the Joint Chiefs of 2010.
A process that has resulted BTW in the “retirement” and replacement of a commandant of the Marine Corps and the retirement of Secretary of Defense Gates, who either is no longer welcome at GOP functions or is content to have taken his place in a historical turn of events.
this is a good day indeed
Obama wants the repeal of the law to go through. That is the right way to do this. The appeal to the decision can buy time for the Senate to vote on the Defence spending bill.
Nah, I don’t buy it.
The military has to accept them because the District judge denied a stay and the appellate court hasn’t ruled on it yet on DOJ’s appeal of the decision. They couldn’t NOT do this.
Evidence I was right.
Well, I still don’t get how this will end by the end of the year.
In a lame duck session of congress?
So do you really think that will happen??
yes, that has been the plan and they are willing to take a lot of shit to stick to the plan.