Free Republic

Just as Defense Secretary Gates has done a fair job, with exceptions, and has been awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Obama, he may be most remembered for approving the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, yet strangely, he has not certified the controversial reversal of policy, leaving that chore to his replacement, Leon Panetta, who is pro abort, so most probably he will also kneel at the feet of the gay lobby. We all to often hear about the nonexistent "Homophobia" which has had various definitions from the fear becoming gay to the fear of gays taking over,...

Defense Department Inspector General Says, The Fix Was In… DADT Survey Results Written BEFORE Survey Taken! In a 33 page report by Inspector General, Department of Defense, obtained by WND and reported today, “Feds Find Fix Was in on ‘Study’ of Homosexuality in Ranks,” concludes that “the fix – maybe even handed down by the White House – was in before the military ever started asking soldiers and sailors about how opening the ranks to homosexuals would affect the nation’s defense.” If you will remember the Democrats, having suffered extreme losses during the mid-term elections, were ramming through legislation during...

SAN DIEGO -- History will be made at this year's San Diego Pride Parade when active-duty military members will march openly through the heart of Hillcrest. "To my knowledge [it is] the first time in the history of Pride in the United States, ever, that we have said, 'Active duty, you are welcome,'" organizer Sean Sala said. "We want you to be there without fear of repercussions, because we love you." Sala, an active-duty sailor, said he was bothered to see that police and firefighters were represented in the Pride parade, but not the people who serve this country. "I...

PORTLAND - U.S. Sen. Susan Collins was approached at a reception Friday by several veterans who were eager to thank her for her role in helping to repeal the military's "don't ask don't tell" policy, which banned openly gay, lesbian and bisexual people from serving. Collins said their gratitude was misplaced. "It is I who thank them for serving our country," said Collins. The Maine Republican made her remarks as the guest of honor at EqualityMaine's celebration of the repeal of the policy, one of the events in the 25th Southern Maine Pride Week.

...“Paula Brooks,” editor of Lez Get Real since its founding in 2008, is actually Bill Graber, 58, who said he is a retired Ohio military man and construction worker that had adopted his wife’s identity online... Brooks’s identity came under suspicion after news broke that a woman called Amina Arraf on the blog “A Gay Girl in Damascus” might not really be a Syrian lesbian. Over the weekend, as journalists, bloggers and fans of Amina hunted for clues to the identity behind the blog, Brooks came under review as a possible suspect. Liz Henry, a Web producer at BlogHer.com, questioned...

Former White House lawyer, David B. Rivkin, Jr. is having quite a run. On the heels of his national success planning and leading the lawsuit by 26 plaintiff states challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, Rivkin is being honored as one of the best law firm writers in America. The prestigious 2011 Burton Award for Legal Achievement has been awarded to Rivkin for his Washington Post article, “Why the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy is Doomed,” which ran in the Feb. 13, 2010 edition. The article, written by Rivkin and his Baker Hostetler law colleague Lee A. Casey,...

(Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates bluntly told Marines on Sunday that they won't be able to opt out of their enlistment just because they disagree with a government decision to end a ban on gays serving openly in the military. Gates, who is on a tour of Afghanistan to bid farewell to the troops before stepping down at the end of the month, was quizzed by a Marine sergeant about the controversial policy during a question and answer session at a base in southwestern Helmand Province.

Twenty-one religious agencies that provide chaplains to the military have sent a letter to the military’s chiefs of chaplains voicing strong concern over the absence of religious liberty protections under the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The letter, which asks the chiefs for their help in urging Congress and the Department of Defense to adopt such protections, reads, in part: “Chaplains are instructors of conscience. Chaplains have a tremendous moral responsibility to insure that when they preach, teach or counsel, they do so in accordance with their conscience and in harmony with the faith group by which they are...

(CNSNews.com) – Anticipating the elimination of the military ban on homosexuality, the Office of the Chief of Navy Chaplains has decided that same-sex couples in the Navy will be able to get married in Navy chapels, and that Navy chaplains will be allowed to perform the ceremonies -- if homosexual marriage is legal in the state where the unions are to be performed.The advisory came in the form of an April 13 memo issued to all chaplains, in which the Chief of Navy Chaplains, Admiral Michael Tidd, said the Chaplain Corps was revising its Tier I training manuals, which had...

Budweiser’s new ad seems to be the latest in controversial commercials. The company’s promotion features a soldier returning home to his… boyfriend? “Hey man, it’s me. I’m coming home,” the soldier anxiously reports to his phone pal. While the young soldier prepares for his return home, his friends and family prepare a surprise celebration, complete with Budweiser beer, obviously. When the soldier arrives, he immediately embraces his telephone pal. He then hugs a young woman before greeting his parents. LINK TO YOUTUBE OF AD So who is the man awaiting the soldier’s homecoming? Is it the soldier’s significant other? Is...

A lesbian cadet who resigned from West Point last year has been rejected for readmission to the academy even as the military moves toward ending its "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Today marks the launch of Michelle Obama and Jill Biden's "Joining Forces" initiative to "support and honor America's service members and their families." The two women, along with President Obama and Vice President Biden, will make remarks at the White House in conjunction with the kickoff. Shortly before the event began at noon, Servicemembers United, which represents gay and lesbian troops and veterans, complained that the White House had barred civilian representatives of gay and lesbian military families from the event. "It is rather unfortunate that both East Wing and West Wing staff have refused to allow a representative of...

Every commander executing a plan that he considers bad or disastrous is criminal. He must point out the flaws, insist that it be changed and at last resort resign rather than be the instrument of the destruction of his own men. -- Napoleon Even we didn't think that the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (DADT) would lead to anything like this so quickly. How can even the US Marines be fully on board? Many of you may have seen this recent official announcement video by the Marine Corps on how they intend to do their best to integrate homosexuality...

Washington (CNN) -- A magazine designed for and by gay military members may soon be displayed at military installations worldwide, an advocacy group announced Monday. "Our first objective with the magazine is to let all the gay, lesbian, bi, and trans members currently serving know that they are not alone," an active-duty officer who goes by the pseudonym JD Smith said in a statement. Smith, along with co-director Ty Walrod lead the organization known as OutServe, the group describes themselves as an underground network of actively serving military members of the United States Armed Services who identify as lesbian, gay,...

(CNN) -- A sailor is accusing the Navy of baselessly trying to discharge him for "unprofessional conduct" in an effort to get around the recent "don't ask, don't tell" repeal, after being found asleep in the same bed with another male sailor.

The pink tide has turned in Obama’s favor. After months of challenging interactions with his gay base, which included heckling from gay protestors at events and a drop in contributions from the community, Obama is back on track with LGBT voters. The reversal, which took successfully repealing DADT and an administrative abandonment of the Defense of Marriage Act, which he ruled unconstitutional, has put Obama back on the gay radar as a positive force for the community. As a bisexual man who doesn’t hook up with guys, and having a brother who is gay, I have the good fortune of...

With a bold political announcement, President Barack Obama has completed the trifecta -- de facto coups which bring into his White House the powers and functions of the other two branches, as outlined in our Constitution. That document assigns the legislative function to Congress, but the Executive Branch blithely and routinely co-opts that power by run-arounds and choosing to enforce or not enforce duly passed laws of the Legislature. Notable examples in the scant couple of years The One has been in office include: refusal to enforce voting laws against intimidation at the polls in Chicago, efforts to use the...

The President has not yet certified the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and it will not go into effect until 60 days after that. But during a teleconference from Afghanistan to Camp Pendleton, Major General Richard Mills said training packages to prepare for the repeal have already arrived in Helmand Province. Mills described the training as "quite extensive,” with a series of classes, including scenarios and discussion groups. He said the trainers are being trained, and Marines based at Camp Leatherneck will start going through the program as soon as the directive comes down from headquarters. “It’s a little...

There’s a dangerous meme making its way across the Internets: “Does Sarah Palin support gay rights?” thanks to her almost-Libertarian response to gay GOP group GOProud’s attendance at this weekend’s CPAC. The Alaska Dispatch, writing at Huffington Post, reports Palin “told the Christian Broadcasting Network that it was a ‘scheduling conflict’ that prevented her appearance, not GOProud’s presence at the convention. And she went one step further, telling CBN that conference attendees should not so quickly dismiss the opportunity to provide a full spectrum of conservatism. News website POLITICO reports Palin alluded to the controversy that GOProud’s inclusion at the...

<p>RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia would have to establish and fully fund its own independent militia if it wanted to ban gays from its National Guard force, Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli says.</p> <p>Cuccinelli issued an advisory opinion earlier this week at the request of Del. Bill Janis, R-Henrico, who asked whether the legislature can order the Virginia National Guard to continue the"don't ask, don't tell" policy recently repealed by Congress.</p>