Crew's quarters aboard the submarine U.S.S. Cavalla.
Posted on 01/27/2010 11:18:30 PM PST by Cindy
Note: The following text is a quote:
Obama Reaffirms Desire to End ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2010 – President Barack Obama announced during his State of the Union address tonight that he intends to work with Congress and the military during the year ahead to repeal the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. Obama said he will aim “to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.”
“It is the right thing to do,” he said.
The president has long advocated allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters in June that he had directed Defense Department lawyers to explore ways to make the policy more flexible until the law is changed.
The law prohibits officials from inquiring into a servicemember’s sexual orientation in the absence of statements or acts that indicate the servicemember is homosexual, but allows the services to take action against servicemembers who disclose their homosexuality by word or action.
Gates told reporters in June that he had talked with the president about how to work toward his goal of overturning the policy.
“The issue that we face is, How do we begin to do preparations and, simultaneously, the administration move forward in asking the Congress to change the law?” the secretary said.
“What we have is a law, not a policy or regulation,” he said. “And as I discovered when I got into it, it is a very prescriptive law. It doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination or a lot of flexibility. So one of the things we are looking at is, Is there flexibility in how we apply this law?”
Gates cited the example of someone who’s been “outed by a third party,” possibly the result of blackmail or a jilting.
“Does that force us to take an action?” he questioned. “I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t want to pretend to. But that is the kind of thing we are looking at.”
Gates said he believes there’s “at least a more humane way to comply with the law until the law gets changed,” though he acknowledged that what that way might be is up to legal interpretation. “We have general counsel working on it,” he said.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law has been in effect since 1993. Previously, homosexuals were strictly banned from military service.
Related Articles: General Counsel Looking Into ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ Gates Says
"The president has long advocated allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters in June that he had directed Defense Department lawyers to explore ways to make the policy more flexible until the law is changed."
Previously...
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=54956
General Counsel Looking Into ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ Gates Says
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILIARY AIRCRAFT, June 30, 2009 – A day after President Barack Obama reaffirmed his pledge to overturn the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he has Defense Department lawyers exploring ways to make it more flexible until the law is changed.
The law prohibits officials from inquiring into a servicemember’s sexual orientation in the absence of statements or acts that indicate the servicemember is homosexual, but allows the services to take action against servicemembers who disclose their homosexuality by word or action.
Gates told reporters traveling with him from U.S. European Command that he talked with the president last week about “how to achieve his objective, which is changing the policy.” The issue also came up at last week’s Defense Leadership Council, he said.
“And the issue that we face is, How do we begin to do preparations and, simultaneously, the administration move forward in asking the Congress to change the law?” he said.
“What we have is a law, not a policy or regulation,” Gates said. “And as I discovered when I got into it, it is a very prescriptive law. It doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination or a lot of flexibility. So one of the things we are looking at is, Is there flexibility in how we apply this law?”
Gates cited the example of someone who’s been “outed by a third party,” possibly the result of blackmail or a jilting.
“Does that force us to take an action?” he questioned. “I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t want to pretend to. But that is the kind of thing we are looking at.”
Gates said he believes there’s “at least a more humane way to comply with the law until the law gets changed.”
Exactly what that might be is up to legal interpretation, he said. “We have general counsel working on it,” he added.
Biographies:
Robert M. Gates
Gates is a moron.
Maybe this is why Hillary wasn’t at the speech tonight?
>Gates is a moron.
Actually, Gates is pretending to be a moron. You cant openly block every lefty move by Obowma in the open. When you are in enemy territory, you have to disguise your motives. Who do you think keeps “whispering” in Obowma’s ear NOT to close Gitmo after all this time?
Homosexuality in the military will be irrelevent the moment gays no longer have special rights. Until then, even trying to ignore their sexual preference is illegal, let alone turning them down. Gays have supported special rights laws that have turned them into more extreme pariahs than they’ve ever been in history, but they’re too busy indulging in arrogance and abusiveness to see that they are not only holding a legal and social tiger by the tail, but pissing it off. Sooner or later, that tiger is going to turn on them. Until then, the pressure will keep building, as they continue to enrage a population that they laugh at for it’s restraint.
Crew's quarters aboard the submarine U.S.S. Cavalla.
He wants to destroy our military, our economy and everything else that has been good about our country.
In principle this would constitute sexual harassment and should be verboten. In practice I can see the complaining straight getting drummed out of the service.
No, dont want to imagine it. I am a mile away from West Hollywood and these degenerates make me sick. Everytime a straight guy walks those streets, they are automatically the enemy. So much for “tolerance’..
All they would have to do is pull their little tricks when no one else is there to see it. It would be your word against theirs. And spreading “false rumors” would merit captain’s mast.
Of course, there would be homos acting on their sexual urges all over the ship: paint lockers, generator rooms, mail rooms—anywhere they could hide their activities undetected. And when a straight sailor discovers their activities, that might be a dangerous situation. One bump and you go over the side; never to reveal what you discovered.
Zero does want to destroy our military, at least as a protector of U.S. citizens, but he won’t do it by bringing military queers out of the closet. I think zero is just putting up the appearance of trying to do something for them in order to keep their votes and contributions. As for Gates, it’s probably easier to stop or slow the process from within by giving it positive lip service and then blowing it off.
I hope I’m right.
I’d set a few big ole spring type rat traps and tuck them under the blanket. Whoever goes “YOW!” has been caught red handed. Literally.
There are going to be record numbers of career soldiers quitting if Obama forces open homosexuality into our forces. Ask anyone who is currently serving and the VAST MAJORITY want nothing to do with some queer leering at them in the showers and on the toilet. Obama has just guaranteed that his poll numbers will continue to plummet.
It's like my house is burning down and I stop to check the couch cushions for loose change to go buy a bagel. WTF?
The Prez still doesn’t get it.
It has nothing to do “with who they are”.
It has to do with what they do.
A copuple things helped stop bill clinton, his wifes attempted health care grab and bills don’t ask don’t tell b.s.
Hopefully this same b.s. helps take down this “magic nigro”.
Morning Cindy.
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