Posted on 01/03/2011 5:31:32 AM PST by TiAhr-02L
The landmark, bipartisan, and congressional action I witnessed the president sign last week may prove to be the tipping point when it comes to gay rights in America. A sense of optimism and hope was truly palpable among the several hundred at the signing ceremony.
My gut told me it was genuine. As proof, I was able to look into the eyes of and speak directly to the president, vice president, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Adm. Michael Mullen, Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Barney Frank. Rather amazing they made themselves available.
Convening on that bitterly cold morning of Dec. 22 was a group of activists, supporters, former soldiers, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who had a big stake in the repeal. No doubt, many or all had worked long and hard for this move toward equality. In the crowd was my friend David Mixner, who was arrested at the White House gate after the policy was implemented in 1992. The president he spent years before working hard to elect had reneged on his campaign pledge to allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military.
President Obama also made the campaign pledge to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military and restated that pledge in his State of the Union address earlier this year.
Justice was ultimately served by the repeal. But, at what price? We know more than 13,000 brave Americans who risked their lives for their country were discharged from military service, simply by virtue of who they are. Tens of thousands more subverted their sexual orientation or severed connections with loved ones to serve their country - a terrible choice to be forced to make.
Who knows how many chose not to serve in the military as they view it as too great a sacrifice? Adm. Mullen stated, "Our people sacrifice a lot for their country, including their lives. None of them should have to sacrifice their integrity as well." The president cited Adm. Mullen at the ceremony and stated, "That's why I believe this is the right thing to do for our military. That's why I believe it is the right thing to do, period."
If gays and lesbians can now serve with pride and integrity, as they have in the U.K. since 2000 as well as 34 other countries, will their service create other stepping-stones toward equality and social justice?
Over the past four decades, the military became increasingly out of step with the rest of the country, as Americans discovered they had gays and lesbians as family members, neighbors, coworkers, health care practitioners, financial executives and just about every occupation one can recite. Both national and military polls demonstrated what most of the country already knew: gays and lesbians are clearly able to serve openly in the military. Overwhelming majority support gave politicians the political cover necessary to cast a historic vote to repeal an unfair, outdated and outmoded policy.
It's possible the repeal of DADT will be cited as an initial stepping-stone toward equality. The president said, "For we are not a nation that says, 'don't ask, don't tell.' We are a nation that says, 'Out of many, we are one.' We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot. We are a nation that believes that all men and women are created equal. Those are the ideals that generations have fought for. Those are the ideals that we uphold today."
In many parts of America, gays and lesbians have the freedom to live and work openly without discrimination and prejudice. People recognize that gays and lesbians are part of every community and are not threatened by or deem homosexuality as abnormal. Indeed, the American Psychological Association does not recognize anything abnormal, either.
But, in other parts of America, this isn't so. Gays and lesbians are judged because they've allegedly made a choice -- a sexual "preference." A same sex relationship is deemed abnormal and unacceptable. In these parts of the country, including 29 states, gays and lesbians can be fired for simply being homosexual. Only five states permit same sex marriage or civil unions. Sadly, there are more than 1,100 federal provisions that are generally not available to the gay community. Many organizations are working diligently to educate the remaining parts of America and it appears to be working. I salute the Human Rights Campaign, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, the ACLU and state organizations, like PROMO in Missouri, for being forces for change. Friendfactor.org is a new organization designed to connect and educate new supporters (mostly the heterosexual community) who are committed to helping their LGBT friends achieve full legal freedoms, faster. Harvard recognized the organization's founder, Brian Elliot, this year for social innovation.
When does the tipping point occur? Or has it already happened? Much work lies ahead to defeat the so-called DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), along with adding federal anti-discriminatory legislation and allowing for same sex marriage equality. Let repeal of DADT be America's tipping point toward equality, pointing the way forward for social justice for all.
Ugh. This thing needs some kind of barf alert.
The normalization of abominable perversion continues apace.
Next up for normalization: polygamy, polyamory, pedophilia, incest, bestiality, probably even necrophilia.
Rape is well on its way to being normalized, since the penalties these days amount to little more than a wrist slap.
Just look at the Navy Commander who is now being pilloried for a skit containing gay jokes.
We are going to see a long line of payback attacks on our military officers by homosexuals previously serving under DADT
One can brag about being gay but nobody say anything bad about gay life (anti-discriminatory legislation).Yeah that is fair and balanced. /s
“...We know more than 13,000 brave Americans who risked their lives for their country were discharged from military service, simply by virtue of who they are...”
The above statement actually shows the need for DADT. Those discharged had made themselves a problem for the genuine brave combat troops who don’t cotton to perverts, disease carriers, and the mentally ill serving in the military.
“A same sex relationship is deemed abnormal and unacceptable.”
Well....that would be because it IS disordered. Period.
Welcome to FR.
Any one who believes gay marriage is ok should also think that we should Decriminalize having sex with 14 year old girls, and maybe we could also think of decriminalizing the use of tobacco.
However seriously, if we are going to really be fair, we should think of those people out there who may want to marry a pig or a cow, would that be any different than gay marriage?
Ah, yes, can't you just see the rationalizations now.
"People shouldn't have to stop making love just because they're dead."
"This may be the only real loving touch this corpse feels after death. In fact, it may be the only loving touch this person ever received, before or after death."
"Death is just another part of life's journey. Why can't a dead person enjoy it as much as a live one?"
"We can't just arbitrarily deny dead people's sexuality."
"Republicans are just bigots, and hate necrosexuals (my term - I'm sure they'll use it)."
Ad nauseum (literally).
Its not equality they’re really after. Its overturning traditional morality because it gets in the way of their lifestyle.
They don’t want to be judged for it. That’s more than simply leaving them alone. What gays don’t want to do is to leave us alone. There is a difference here and its a significant one.
Due to harassment and political pressure. What this person fails to mention is that the APA has backed off their "born this way" mantra.
APA drops "gay gene" claim, research shows change is possible for gays
Its people like you who compromised with the Left who brought us gays in the military.
You, not them are the problem because you are ready to compromise with them. They don’t. Conservatives who are not ready to ban gays outright from military service understand nothing.
Not really. We need to go back to "No homosexuals in the military". They used to be considered intelligence risks. Look at the homosexual that gave docs to Assange. That alone should have returned us to NO HOMOSEXUALS.
Note to the tipping point author. When the Messiah comes down and the Day of Judgement has come I may consider the claim that gays in the Military was a stumbling block on the road to equality. But until that time I must say NO reprobate fornicator will ever be equal to nor superior to this born anew son born of woman.
Wow... someone who gets it... the lesson we should learn is that if you compromise with the Left, its not good enough for them. That’s a hard lesson to learn for 17 years of temporizing.
The Law is written on every human heart, so that they viscerally know right and wrong. Their will may suppress that knowledge of the truth, as in the case of homos and leftists,
but their conscience remains a factor.
Reminders of this objective standard of right and wrong cause their consciences to bother them, so they’d rather remove all of those reminders.
Homos believe that if every external voice is shouting its approval of their sin, that their internal voice will be silenced.
Yet the Navy refused to investigate the Treason committed by
the “other JFK from Mass.”When he was yet a Naval Officer.
I watched the excerpts of the XO video night and saw Nothing that commented on his Command ability to compare with the
video of John F.Kerry claiming he witnessed and even committed war crimes as a Naval Officer but chose NOT to obey
Orders and report such through the Chain of Command. Not so sure I would want to be part of this new all volunteer Village People Navy.
You signed up this weekend to post mindless juvenile crap like this? Niced try, troll. This is garbage - and you know it.
Go away and waste time elswhere.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.