Repeal of DADT sends right-wingers into apoplexy

I am amazed that it took as long as it has to bring a bit of sanity back to America’s policies with regard to sexuality of serving members, but they finally repealed “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”. Yesterday the US Senate voted 63-33 to end cloture, then voted 65-31 (including eight Republicans) to repeal the strange law.

It’s one thing to forbid people from investigating, or discriminating against, gay soldiers. It’s another thing entirely to forbid people from serving while out. There’s a scene in the movie Across the Universe, set during the Vietnam War, wherein someone is expressly NOT refused entry into the army for claiming to be gay. “As long as you don’t have flat feet,” the recruiter says. Reality under DADT, however, expressly forbade any knowledge of a person’s sexual orientation, such that anyone openly gay could not serve, and anyone serving could not come out.

I can kind of understand, in the political climate of the 90s when being gay was only just becoming slightly less taboo — a bit of progress that was slowed with the misinformation around the spread of AIDS. The creation of the law in that climate was obviously intended to allow gays to join, to serve their country alongside straight soldiers — because if someone wants to risk their life fighting for what may or may not be a good cause, it damn well shouldn’t matter what gender or orientation they happen to be.

Except, naturally, to the esteemed and totally sane members of the Party of Family Values.

The new Marine motto: “The Few, the Proud, the Sexually Twisted.” Good luck selling that to strong young males who would otherwise love to defend their country. What virile young man wants to serve in a military like that?

If the president and the Democrats wanted to purposely weaken and eventually destroy the United States of America, they could not have picked a more efficient strategy to make it happen.
Bryan Fischer, American Family Association

“Today is a tragic day for our armed forces. The American military exists for only one purpose – to fight and win wars. Yet it has now been hijacked and turned into a tool for imposing on the country a radical social agenda. This may advance the cause of reshaping social attitudes regarding human sexuality, but it will only do harm to the military’s ability to fulfill its mission.
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council

If the lame-duck Congress succeeds in ‘gaying down’ our military this weekend, it will take a disastrous leap toward “mainstreaming” deviant, sinful homosexual conduct – not just in the military but in larger society — thus further propelling America’s moral downward spiral.
Peter LaBarbera, president of “Americans For Truth About Homosexuality”, a virulently anti-gay organization

Ain’t that just precious. What is it about the right wing that makes them so xenophobic and self-defeating that they’d deign decree who’s allowed to give their lives for their country? They can’t honestly think that being gay makes you less capable of killing people, can they?

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Repeal of DADT sends right-wingers into apoplexy
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9 thoughts on “Repeal of DADT sends right-wingers into apoplexy

  1. 1

    If they weren’t xenophobic homophobe authoritarians with latent homosexual tendencies (which is why they like to watch wrestling so much) they wouldn’t be right wingers. And yes, yes, they really have a “wide stance.”

  2. 2

    It is a nice step forward, but do you expect the American Family Association or the Family Research Council to ever speak sanely. These are the guys who use bible quotes to support their arguments. They also seem to forget that people still speak highly of the U.S. Navy even though many make jokes about the gay sailor. They are still stuck in the, mindset that asking for the true existence to be acknowledged is forcing your values on them.

  3. 5

    I am amazed that it took as long as it has to bring a bit of sanity back to Americaโ€™s policies

    I might laugh. Or I might cry.

    What virile young man wants to serve in a military like that?

    Comedy gold.

  4. 7

    I dunno, Miranda. I’ve talked to a few guys who would apparently prefer making love to their guns. However, I’m not sure that particular philia has anything to do with their sexual choices when it comes to human partners. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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