The Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Hein calls Pam's House Blend: "a leading source of radical homosexual propaganda, anti-Christian bigotry, and radical transgender advocacy."
He is "praying that Pam Spaulding will "turn away from her wicked and sinful promotion of homosexual behavior."
(CCLM's web site, 10/15/07)
Ex-gay "Christian" activist James Hartline on Pam:
"I have been mocked over and over again by ungodly and unprincipled anti-christian lesbians."
(from "Six Years In Sodom: From The Journal Of James Hartline," 9/4/2006, written from the "homosexual stronghold" of Hillcrest in San Diego).
"Pam is a 'twisted lesbian sister' and an 'embittered lesbian' of the 'self-imposed gutteral experiences of the gay ghetto.'" -- 9/5/2008
Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth Against Homosexuality heartily endorses the Blend, calling Pam:
A "vicious anti-Christian lesbian activist." (Concerned Women for America's radio show [9:15], 1/25/07)
"A nutty lesbian blogger." (MassResistance radio show [16:25], 2/3/07)
Pam's House Blend always seems to find these sick f*cks. The area of the country she is in? The home state of her wife? I know, they are everywhere. Pam just does such a great job of bringing them out into the light.
--Impeach Bush
who monitors yours Bevis ?? Just thought I would drop you a line,so the rest of your life is not wasted.
The President nominated Marine General Clifford Stanley (Ret.), to serve as Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, a position that would be responsible for implementing a reversal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in the Pentagon.
There were high hopes that Dr. Stanley's testimony would shed light on how he would handle the change in policy, but it's clear that the following was not what Servicemembers Legal Defense Network expecting.
From Stanley's testimony:
Homosexual Conduct Policy
The current Homosexual Conduct Policy, commonly referred to as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," went into effect in February 1994 after months of congressional hearings and debate resulting in the enactment of a Federal statute. Although there have been some changes in how this policy has been implemented, the basic policy has not changed. President Obama has made it clear that he intends to work with the military and with Congress to repeal the policy.
What is your view on repealing or changing this policy?
If confirmed, I would work closely with the service Secretaries and Chiefs to provide the Secretary of Defense the best advice possible on the way forward regarding this issue.
In your view, would changing this policy have an adverse impact on unit cohesion and good order and discipline in the military? If Congress revises the Homosexual Conduct Policy statute and if confirmed, I would work closely with the services to ensure the revising of this policy is done in a way that maintains our highest state of military readiness.
If confirmed, what role would you play in efforts to repeal or change this policy?
If Congress changes the law and if confirmed, I, as the Under Secretary for Personnel & Readiness, would be responsible for leading the implementation of the change in the policy within DoD.
If the policy is changed by Congress, would you recommend a phase-in period for implementation of the new policy?
If the statute is changed and if confirmed, I would consult with the service Secretaries and Chiefs to ensure the implementation of the new policy is done in a way that maintains our highest state of military readiness.
If confirmed, what role will you play in implementing a new policy?
If the statute is changed and if confirmed, I would lead the effort to implement a new policy while carefully considering the advice of and working closely with the service Secretaries, the service Chiefs, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I would ensure that this change is done in a way that maintains our highest state of military readiness.
SLDN's reaction:
Statement by SLDN Executive Director on Dr. Stanley Confirmation Hearing
SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis responded to the confirmation hearing for Marine General Clifford Stanley (Ret.), nominated by President Obama to be Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. This office historically handles "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" within the Pentagon.
SLDN is disappointed Dr. Clifford Stanley punted on several questions regarding "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" this morning. When given the opportunity by Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.) to support his commander in chief's position to overturn the ban, Dr. Stanley did not do so. However, as is the case with most nominees, Dr. Stanley did not delve into any of the policy issues in his portfolio. We look forward to Dr. Stanley becoming fully aligned with President Obama on repeal. The President has said the right words but some of his chief lieutenants may not have heard those words. The fact remains that a 2010 repeal has never been more promising.
Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) opening statement today on repeal was troubling. The Senator said he believes the law is "working successfully." The facts and record show DADT is not working. More than 13,500 service members have been discharged under DADT and thousands more leave the services every year because of the ban. Nearly a quarter of service members, according to a recent report by the RAND Corp., know a member of their unit is gay. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to make the case to the Senator that the law is not working and that 58 percent of conservatives support allowing gays to serve openly.
You can also read Dr. Stanley's interesting written responses to DADT questions (pgs. 6-7) here: http://armed-services.senate.gov/statemnt/2009/November/Stanley%2011-19-09.pdf
Again, as with hate crimes legislation, the conventional wisdom on the Hill is that politically, a vote on repeal of this ludicrous policy can't stand on its own, despite massive public support to end the ban on gays and lesbians openly serving in the military. (Wash Blade):
Frank said in an interview with the Blade that repealing the 1993 law barring gays from serving openly in the military would happen as part of the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill.
"The House will take up and the Senate will take up 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal," he said. "That will again, like hate crimes, even more so, will have to be done, I believe, in the context of the defense authorization. You can't do the standalone bill. It belongs in the defense authorization."
...Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) is the sponsor of the standalone version of legislation in the House that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." No such legislation exists in the Senate, although Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) has said he's in talks with the Obama administration on the issue.
Asked about Frank's prediction for the repeal strategy, Allison Herwitt, legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, said her organization "always takes its cues from its congressional allies."
Should we care about how it occurs as long as it is repealed, or is it relevant to know who really stands up for a strong military regardless of whether a service member is in or out of the closet?
WASHINGTON, DC - Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans and their allies, announced today that the American Medical Association (AMA) has passed a resolution calling for full repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law.
With overwhelming support from its membership and virtually no opposition, even from the uniformed services representatives in attendance, the call for full repeal became official AMA policy today upon passage of the resolution.
"Today, the American Medical Association took a principled stance against a law that clearly has a negative impact on military healthcare, military medical providers, and our troops," said Alexander Nicholson, founder and executive director of Servicemembers United.
" This is yet another nail in the coffin of the flawed and outdated 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law, and it should send a strong message to those who continue to blindly claim that this policy works."
At issue before the AMA was the chilling effect that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has on the provider-patient relationship and the resulting impact on access to quality healthcare for many active duty troops. Military medical providers can and have been compelled to divulge personal information about patients to military commanders, resulting in the widespread perception among troops that medical confidentiality in the military is non-existent. Servicemembers United has documented cases of troops suffering in silence or hesitating to seek treatment for potentially life-threatening conditions out of fear for their careers, as well as cases of troops leaving the military to get proper treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other combat-related injuries.
"The provider-patient relationship is sacrosanct in the practice of medicine and in the provision of healthcare," said Dr. Alan M. Steinman, a retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral and a member of the Servicemembers United Policy Council.
"Virtually all physicians can agree that nothing should impede open and honest communication between a patient and his or her doctor. In this way, 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell" threatens the lives and safety of our troops, and it often puts military health professionals in a moral and ethical dilemma."
The AMA worked exclusively with Servicemembers United on the resolution for nearly six months, including inviting Servicemembers United's executive director to the AMA's interim meeting in Houston this week to brief its LGBT Advisory Committee and to testify before the relevant Reference Committee on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law as it relates to healthcare issues.
A copy of the resolution, as well as more information on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," can be found at www.servicemembersunited.org.
###
Servicemembers United, a non-profit and non-partisan organization, is the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans and their allies. Based in Washington, DC, Servicemembers United actively engages in education, advocacy, and lobbying on issues affecting the gay military, veteran, and defense community.
For those of you who aren't familiar with this story, let me recount the details from the Navy Times editorial Hold E-8 Accountable regarding the reported actions of Chief Master-at-Arms Michael Toussaint:
The original investigation into the matter, which occurred in 2005 and 2006 and only recently surfaced publicly, cited 93 instances of hazing, abuse and other improper conduct. Much of it was shocking. The report said members of the dog--handling unit routinely held "hooker parties," gambled, fraternized and hazed men and women. In one incident, a naked female sailor was handcuffed to a bed and forced to pretend to be a lesbian fighting with another woman. And a female sailor's report of sexual abuse was not forwarded up the chain of command.
Despite the damning findings of the command investigation, the man in charge of the unit -- Chief Master-at-Arms Michael Toussaint -- not only avoided accountability for any of his actions or those of unit members, he was advanced to senior chief in 2006. The story made national headlines in September, when the documents became public.
(By the way, E-8 is the paygrade for Senior Chief Petty Officers.)
The investigation found one sailor was ordered to simulate homosexual sex acts, tied up and locked in a dog cage, and forced to eat dog biscuits. Gambling, fraternization and socializing with prostitutes were also commonplace among some of the unit's sailors, investigators found.
The Navy Times has a summary of the report's contents here. Be prepared to be disgusted should you decide to read it.
The bizarre thing is that after an initial investigation found "93 incidents involving hazing and other improper behavior in the Military Working Dog Division at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in 2005 and 2006," not only was no one held accountable for these incidents, Chief Master-at-Arms Michael Toussaint (paygrade E-7) was advanced to Senior Chief Master-at-Arms (paygrade E-8).
[Below the fold: How the Navy is going to hold Senior Chief Toussaint accountable.]
WTF? Didn't we hear during the HRC dinner that the President was working on repeal as we speak?
In a move consistent with other contradictory behavior on LGBT issues, the Obama administration has directed its Justice Department to file an extraordinary motion to get Log Cabin Republicans' lawsuit against the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law thrown out of court, despite a federal judge's ruling that it can proceed. The 11th-hour move for interlocutory appeal, which seeks to stay proceedings and block discovery, was surprisingly formulated at the same time that President Obama was reassuring LGBT activists that he still firmly opposes the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner earlier this month in Washington, DC.
"After President Obama clearly stated that his highest priority for the LGBT community was to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', it is quite troubling to see this 'about face,'" said Terry W. Hamilton, national Chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans. "This aggressive move by President Obama's Justice Department seriously undermines not only his commitment to our community and to the defense of our nation, but it also casts doubt on the motives of those at the highest levels of LGBT leadership in Washington who refuse to criticize the President over this double speak."
We are moving ahead on Don't Ask Don't Tell. (Applause.) We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve this country. We should be celebrating their willingness to show such courage and selflessness on behalf of their fellow citizens, especially when we're fighting two wars. (Applause.)
We cannot afford to cut from our ranks people with the critical skills we need to fight any more than we can afford -- for our military's integrity -- to force those willing to do so into careers encumbered and compromised by having to live a lie. So I'm working with the Pentagon, its leadership, and the members of the House and Senate on ending this policy. Legislation has been introduced in the House to make this happen. I will end Don't Ask, Don't Tell. That's my commitment to you. (Applause.)
The jerking around, no matter what reasoning the WH offers, is unconscionable. Instead of the lofty promises in the speech, and instead of another blindside, he should have had the stones to preempt this repeat two-faced appearance by saying in the keynote some blather about "continued legal defense of this discriminatory policy is necessary" and take the heat right there in the room. Stop the game-playing.
So what does HRC have to say about this, I wonder?
I don't feel like I need to comment much, other than to observe that the conclusions of the commission are encouraging, since they are consistent with what so many of us have argued for so long. In particular, the finding that the military already has the tools to punish criminal sexual conduct independent of the sodomy ban is a welcome statement, since it reinforces the reality that the problem isn't with gays or lesbians, but with inappropriate conduct by anyone.
Of course there is also the rather obvious conclusion that the ban is enforced arbitrarily. But we already knew that. :-)
Almost the same slop served, different day. You'd think after the President left the strong impression that he was moving on DADT repeal, and along with news that Obama and Sen Joe Lieberman were commiserating on legislation, we'd learn something new. Unfortunately, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had the rusted key turned in his back to belch out the same tired song, albeit with a tiny ray of light signifying he needs to come up with a better answer to replace the FAILing chip in his back.
Q Senator Lieberman's office confirmed yesterday that he has had talks with the White House about a "don't ask, don't tell" repeal bill. Have you asked him to carry the bill, to take the lead on the bill? And have you been in discussions with any other senators about doing the same?
MR. GIBBS: Let me ask. I meant to do this last week, and I'll find out that answer today.
Q The President pledged on Saturday night to repeal -- or to end "don't ask, don't tell" was his exact words. Do you have a -- I mean, is there any sense of timing on that? Do you guys have any sense of when you're going to start moving forward with legislation, et cetera?
MR. GIBBS: I don't. Let me get a better answer.I should have done this last week. I'll reiterate again, the President obviously, as he said on Saturday, believes that the policy is unfair. He said that when he was a candidate for the Senate in 2003 and 2004, as well as a candidate for President. He has a strong belief on this. I also think -- we talked a little bit about this Friday -- I think also Saturday gave the President an opportunity to reiterate another important priority of his that will soon become law, and that's hate crimes legislation, which is long overdue in ensuring people protection.
Well we can only hope that The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld, our voice in the press room, will receive that extra information from Gibbs before it ends up at the bottom of his info pile and forgets until he's asked again.
The compromise version of the $681 billion 2010 defense policy bill announced Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators may face an uphill battle becoming law.
The bill, containing an all-ranks 3.4 percent military raise, a 30,000 increase in the size of the Army and a repeal of Tricare fee increases that took effect last week, is HR 2647, the 2010 defense authorization act.
...Sen. John McCain of Arizona, ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate's chief Republican negotiator on the bill, said many Republican participants in the negotiations are refusing to sign the final conference report because of the hate crimes legislation, although he signed the report because he believes the bill includes important provisions to support troops and their families and improvements in national security.
The Hate Crimes Prevention Act included in the bill prohibits crimes "based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person," according to a Senate Armed Services Committee summary. It also provides federal support for the criminal investigation and prosecution by state and local law enforcement. To give the hate crimes provisions military relevance, it would prohibit attacks on U.S. service members based on the fact they are in the military...
More background on the hate crime legislation that passed the House today.
An organization for people who have left homosexuality is asking the American Library Association (ALA) to include "ex-gay" books in its annual Banned Books Week.
The Chicago-based Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) said in a press release that it has tried to secure a statement from the ALA opposing "the censorship of ex-gay books."
"According to Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, ALA policy recommends diversity in book collection development by libraries, regardless of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. However, Caldwell-Stone refuses to state whether that diversity policy includes ex-gay books," PFOX executive director Regina Griggs said in a Tuesday statement.
"Books about leaving homosexuality are censored in most high school libraries, although gay affirming books for youth are readily available," she continued...
Wow. My sockpuppet Bookworm Bob thinks PFOX is crazy.
• In Crosswalk's Walking a Mile in Their Shoes, commentator Peter Beck comments about how Christians encounter people in their daily lives who are unlike them. Excerpt:
...What we need to do is put ourselves in their shoes.
No, I'm not advocating going to their bars or casinos or living a lifestyle antithetical to the Christian walk. I'm not suggesting that we adopt their methods of entertainment and sanctify them for church use. There's a difference between contextualization and capitulation.
I am saying that we need to come out of our Christian ghettoes occasionally and try looking at life through the eyes of the lost. We need to appreciate their lives, understand their predicaments, and address their very real concerns. And, we need to do it in a way that communicates the gospel clearly and effectively.
My proposal is nothing new. Jesus went to Samaria. He met with the woman by the well (in public, by the way, to dispel ancient prejudices and potential rumors). He addressed her needs. He acknowledged her concerns. He showed her the eternal relevance of the gospel.
Paul did the same thing in Athens...
In my life, I've discovered building bridges to others usually works much better than getting on soapboxes and speaking -- in a looking-downward direction -- to people who don't have a stake in your belief system.
Pentagon statistics obtained by University of California researchers show that lesbians were discharged under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy at a much higher rate than gay men.
Every military branch dismissed a disproportionate number of women in 2008 under the policy banning openly gay servicemembers. But the discrepancy was particularly marked in the Air Force, where women were a majority of those let go under the policy, even though they made up only 20 percent of personnel.
Across the military, women represented about one-third of the 619 people discharged based on sexual orientation. They account for just 15 percent of servicemembers...
So is it bias against women? Probably. But, the solution -- the tool -- to end this disparity is the tool to allow all lesbian, gay, and bisexual people to serve in the military openly. We need to just repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
• Our Wiener Story Of The Day is, umm, somewhat devoid of "wieners!" From columnist Violet Blue, in the San Francisco Chronicle's In The U.K., Female Ejaculation Is Not ObsceneWoman porn maker Anna Span challenged the British Board of Film Classification over a controversial sex act, and won:
If you don't want to read about female orgasms with visual results, I suggest you grab your raincoat and move on.
However, if you want to read the latest news about a significant victory for the validation of female ejaculation, the gleeful normalizing of female pleasure in pornographic depictions, and one woman's victory over the U.K.'s film ratings board for woman-made porn, then welcome in out of the downpour. Female ejaculation may be a topic that's as valid, politically charged and debated as hotly as male circumcision -- but now the BBFC says it's real, it matters, and the squirt stays in the film.
This change is thanks to Britain's first female, porn filmmaker, ten-year pioneer and pro-porn activist Anna Span (see also: annaspansdiary.com, NSFW.)
Span has been making explicit porn for several years that typically features hot young lads and ladies doing what comes naturally for her lens, with the females (and female fantasy, and female viewers) in the forefront of what she does...
An added fact for you from Violet Blue in this article:
According to Nielsen Net Ratings, one of every three porn viewers online is female.
Okey-dokey!
So anywho...It's an open thread! What are you thinking about today, or what books or articles have you been reading the past few days? Wanna share?
And again, please feel free to chat, blogwhore, and link-share in the comment thread because...it's an open thread! Woo-hoo!
Anderson Cooper, bless him, repeatedly tried to get the shrill doyenne of discrimination Elaine Donnelly to actually answer questions. She tried steamrolling him and Dan Choi several times, but when you put her on the mic, the batsh*ttery spews forth as predictably as Old Faithful.
Honest to god, if this woman is going to be the face of preserving DADT, they have no chance. Just pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act already. Her inane answers in this video are knee-slapping bad. I don't know how Anderson or Dan made it through this interview without busting out laughing. Just one exchange:
DONNELLY: Dan -- Dan, I see little concern for the people who would be forced out of the military if this law passed.
COOPER: Who'd be forced out.
DONNELLY: You see, there would be zero tolerance if anyone disagrees, if the new lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender, what we call Murphy's LGBT Law, passes.
COOPER: Wait, wait. I'm sorry. Wait, Elaine, who would be forced -- Elaine? Elaine?
DONNELLY: ... discharges has come up twice now.
COOPER: Elaine, please let me ask you a question. Elaine.
Who would actually be forced out of the military? I've never heard this before.
DONNELLY: Because -- well, no one ever denies it. Zero tolerance of anyone who disagrees is a corollary policy that comes if you treat an issue as a civil rights issue.
COOPER: I know, but Elaine, that's -- it's zero tolerance of anybody -- plenty of people disagree with other people in the military. It's just a question of whether you respect and serve with them.
DONNELLY: On this issue -- on this issue, anyone who disagrees would be forced out. They would be denied promotions.
COOPER: Anybody who acted on disagreement.
DONNELLY: In the military, that ends your career, if you are denied promotion. But let's talk about some discharges. The military...
CHOI: Let me stop you right there, because that's absolutely wrong.
UPDATE: Bumping up from this AM. Watch on C-SPAN or in the sidebar of this page on the left.
The Blend has learned that Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA), the lead sponsor of H.R. 1283, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (which would repeal DADT) is scheduled to take to the floor of the House to host a Special Order Hour today. It will occur around 9 PM ET tonight and broadcast live on C-SPAN. He plans to highlight the impact of DADT on National Security, and push for additional co-sponsors.
A Special Order is time set aside in advance by any House member to speak about a topic of their choice.
***
You can see my interview with the Congressman from Netroots Nation here (with transcript). A snippet:
PS: Do you think it's okay to have a public whip count, so people can see how things are going?
CPM: Yes, and that's why I ask people to go on "Let Them Serve", that's my website; again, "Let Them Serve". Look at what the webcount is; look at who's my co-sponsors.
I have 168 co-sponsors right now, and if your congressman or congresswoman isn't on it, I ask you please - call their office, email them, write them letters, write "letters to the editors".
...PS: And what do you think, um, that during the next set of hearings, that people on the other side are going to present? After all, last time around, Elaine Donnelly testified quite candidly and humorously- it did not do the other side much justice.
CPM: Yeah, well, listen, I have respect for Ms. Donnelly. I don't appreciate the fact that she now questions my military service and I don't frankly appreciate the fact that she doesn't think that the American soldier is as professional as the 26 other countries that allow their troops to serve openly.
But listen, that's what America is America for; and she's entitled to her opinion and her... even if I think that opinion is wrong. And um, I anticipate a strong fight from the forces of the status quo; I understand it, you know, but I didn't come to Congress to be nice to everybody and just go along to get along. I came to Congress to make sure I fight for the values and principles I believe in and how I was raised, and where I think our country needs to go.
Update: I added thumbnails of the two letters that Sen. Reid sent. Selecting the thumbnails will bring up PDF's of the letters so one can read for oneself the letters that Sen. Reid sent to President Obama and Secretary Gates.
~~Autumn~~
Not from, say, military personnel affected by this policy (natch) or families of said personnel, or even American citizens who feel strongly that DADT should be repealed immediately.
No, he wants feedback from President Obama and Robert Gates, as to how to proceed with introducing legislature to finally repeal DADT.
Forgive me for being glib, but isn't this kinda like a carpenter asking his supervisor how to close a door? No wonder jack sh*t ever seems to get done correctly or quickly in Washington...
WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to hear from the Obama administration on how to overturn the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military.
The Democratic-led Congress is considering repealing the 1993 law but isn't expected to act on the issue until early next year.
In the meantime, the Nevada Democrat is asking President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to share their views and recommendations on the controversial policy.
In Sept. 24 letters to Obama and Gates, Reid also asked for a review of the cases of two U.S. officers who were discharged from the military because of their sexuality.
A spokesperson for Majority Leader Reid said he had not received a response from either President Obama or Secretary Gates.
A White House spokesperson said, "The president appreciates the majority leader's letter and looks forward to working with him and other members of Congress as they move towards a legislative repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell.'" Last week, the White House declined to comment on whether they were discussing introduction of a repeal bill with any senators.
The Pentagon did not respond to inquiries in time for the posting of this article.
Perhaps the White House and Pentagon might comment after next week's scheduled activities:
DADT Events During National Equality March
SLDN will be participating in the National Equality March on October 11. Here are some DADT-focused events to check out:
Repealing DADT: Lobbying Tactics DADT trainings taught by lobbyists from LGBT Military Advocacy groups
Oct 10, 2009 - 10:00am-12:00pm
Wreath Laying at Tomb of the Unknowns Arlington National Cemetery
Oct 10, 2009 - 12:00pm
DADT Protest & Memorial Service Honoring Leonard Matlovich Speakers Span Four Decades of Fighting the Ban on Gays in the Military
Oct 10, 2009 - 2:00pm
Students for the National Equality March Flash Protest Student-led protest calling for repeal of DADT
Saturday, October 10 - time TBA
Cadence Run Run with LGBT service members and veterans military style, around the memorials/monuments
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:00am
National Equality March March for Equality!
Oct 11, 2009 - 12 noon
The 19th Annual Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta Ga is getting moving with registration starting tomorrow. I need to be there at 8:30 in the morning to start checking in the volunteers that make SCC happen. Donna Rose will be there presenting a seminar I think, and will be a speaker for one of the meals. Now that I am out to my family, I will be presenting a seminar Saturday morning titled "Ifm, When and How to tell your child you crossdress.
This is an outrage. As reported in an investigation by Youth Radio, members of the U.S. Navy's Bahrain Military Working Dogs Division have been subject to unbelievable abuse by colleagues that involve sexual humiliation, harassment and gay-baiting. And there are FOIA documents to prove it.
It was inside that Bahrain kennel in July 2005 that Petty Officer Joseph Christopher Rocha, then 19 years old, says he was being terrorized by other members of his own division. "I was hog-tied to a chair, rolled around the base, left in a dog kennel that had feces spread in it."
Rocha says that beginning six weeks into his deployment, he was singled out for abuse by his chief master-at-arms, Michael Toussaint, and others on the base, once Rocha made it clear he was not interested in prostitutes. "I was in a very small testosterone-driven unit of men," Rocha says. "I think that's what began the questioning-you know-'Why don't you want to have sex with her? Are you a faggot?'"
"Petty Officer Rocha and another junior sailor...were instructed to go into a classroom by Chief Michael Toussaint, who orchestrated the entire training. And Chief Toussaint asked them to simulate homosexual sex on a couch," Hogan says.
...Rocha says at the time, he had no gay friends, no male lovers, and wasn't even fully out to himself about his sexuality. "The fact that I was starting to figure out that I was a homosexual, it was the most degrading thing I've ever experienced in my life." Still, eight thousand miles away from home, he was afraid to report the constant hazing. And Rocha was not the only one.
This sick bastard Toussaint didn't see anything wrong with this treatment of those he was serving with. And when word started to get out about allegations of rampant abuse of this nature, all talk of it was quashed.
Allegations of abuse across the unit escalated to a point that Navy officials enlisted Marine Corps Captain Brooks Braden to carry out an independent investigation. When Youth Radio reached Braden by phone, he said he didn't have authorization to discuss "any investigations that may or may not have occurred." There are a variety of opinions as to what specifically triggered the investigation of the Working Dogs Division. What's not in question are the Findings of Fact highlighted in the Navy's report.
...Some sailors participated in the culture of hazing as victims, others as perpetrators, or in some cases both. They say the hazing continued because of a series of threats that were also integral to the culture of the unit, which not only tolerated abuse, but also invited it. To prevent them from speaking out, sailors Youth Radio interviewed say Toussaint would threaten to revoke their handlers' licenses--taking away their dogs and their specialty in the Navy.
How does this cultivate "military readiness"? It makes you wonder what they would do to women who served in this unit? Never mind Elaine Donnelly's protestations and fantasies of gay and lesbian service members running rampant -- she she probably has nothing to say of the persecution of those serving by heterosexual beasts like Toussaint, and those higher up who believe this is appropriate for "unit cohesion." This has nothing to do with sexual orientation and everything to do with criminal behavior. BTW, did I mention that since the launch of the investigation, the Navy has promoted Chief Michael Toussaint to the rank of Senior Chief.
Rocha was a military police officer with anti-terrorism training who graduated at the top of his military class, and who received favorable performance evaluations throughout his career. His unit mates first suspected that he is gay in 2004 when he refused to sleep with female prostitutes, a practice that was widespread at his base. Rocha did not report the abuse, which continued until 2006, because he feared retaliation as well as discharge under "don't ask, don't tell." According to Aaron Belkin, Director of the Palm Center, "it is very hard for an organization to get rid of abuse as long as discrimination remains official policy."
This is a good bit of history told from a personal perspective that shows the character and commitment of Sen. Kennedy. Thanks, Tanya. -- Pam.
Remembering Ted Kennedy for his Compassion and Courage
By Tanya Domi
In the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy, I will always remember him for his deep compassion and strong support for members of the gay community.
I had the opportunity to work with Kennedy's office on the introduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act as the legislative director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in 1994.
Kennedy agreed to introduce the ENDA in fall 1993 shortly after the adoption of Don't Ask Don't Tell in fall 1993. All of us working on the military ban took the defeat badly. But we picked ourselves up and got to work quickly. In less of a month after DADT was adopted, along with the then-Human Rights Campaign Fund and my colleagues Dan Zingale, Nancy Buermeyer and Cathy Woolard we began building a coalition of groups to support ENDA with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, led by Ralph Neas, its executive director at the time. LCCR supported ENDA, historically supporting for the first time gay rights legislation by the most imminent group of civil rights organizations in America.
The first hearings were scheduled in the Senate with Senator Kennedy chairing, arranged by Michael Iskowitz, his diminutive aide on gay and disability rights. Republican Senator Dan Coats of Indiana, who had strongly opposed lifting the military gay ban, also served on the labor committee, but we did not expect him to attend the hearings.
Before the hearings began, we had gathered in a conference room behind the hearing room to finalize preparation of our witnesses, Cheryl Summerville, who had been fired by a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Tennessee for being a lesbian and Ernest Hopkins, a postal worker from Cincinnati, Ohio, who had been beaten unconscious in his work place by co-workers for being gay. Suddenly, a significant number of black men, who had been standing in line to enter the hearing room, wearing orange buttons which said "they are not equal" were led through the conference room by a Coats' aide. With no Capital police present, they began yelling epithets at Cheryl and Ernest and our group, pushed and shoved Ernest, jostling Cheryl as a number of us jumped in to stop the hitting and moved them out of room. A very upsetting event and a despicable tactic employed by Coats' staff, which was simply a violation of Senate protocol in everyway imagined.
The hearings began shortly after this disturbing event. Senator Kennedy entered the hearing room and began his opening remarks. He called on Cheryl Summerville to make her opening remarks, who was crying, so upset by what had just transpired behind the hearing room.
In a soft voice, Kennedy applauded her courage and told her that she was very brave to come to the Congress to testify about her experience at Cracker Barrel. He said that she should take her time and take a deep breath. Somehow, Cheryl pulled herself together and delivered her testimony.
I was sitting next to Tim McFeely, the executive director of HRCF, softly crying, along with Tim who had red eyes. We were all very upset. But Cheryl testified and so did Ernest, telling their compelling stories of unquestionable employment discrimination. We got through the day with Kennedy putting into the record lesbian and gay stories and their experiences of on-the-job discrimination for the first time in history. That is the Senator Ted Kennedy I will always remember. May he rest in peace.
Tanya Domi worked for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force 1992-1994, serving as the director of the military freedom project and legislative director. She teaches human rights at Columbia University as an adjunct professor of international and public affairs and lives in the City of New York.
A hearty welcome again to Tanya Domi, a former Captain in the U.S. Army, who served for 15 years, enlisting as a Private, rising to the rank of Captain before leaving the service honorably. Her latest guest post for the Blend takes on the foot-dragging by the Obama admin on DADT and discusses one of the historic tangible benefits of service to this country that traditionally have brought many to sign on -- citizenship.
When will LGBT people be free?
By Tanya L. Domi, former U.S. Army Captain
One of my favorite New Yorker cartoons that hangs on the wall of my study is a cartoon drawing of President Lincoln--the iconic image of him standing outside a command tent during the Civil War speaking to General Ulysses S. Grant saying: “Should I free the gays too?”
This cartoon amuses me while it simultaneously angers and saddens me too.
In the early days after Barack Obama was elected president, the media engorged itself in writing endlessly about the historical comparisons of Presidents Lincoln and Obama—book ending Lincoln’s emancipation of the slaves with the election of Obama as our first black president. But in the comparison of the emancipation of the slaves to “freeing the gays,” which is amusingly depicted in a New Yorker cartoon, looks less likely to happen with every passing day, whatever promises Obama has proffered.
Obama does not demonstrate a desire to ‘free’ gay and lesbian soldiers to serve openly, despite America’s two wars, in spite of his authority to enact a stop loss policy urged by a significant block of Congressional members and advocacy groups; despite study after study since 1959 that reflects gay soldiers do serve admirably, quietly, and sometimes openly while avoiding investigations at every turn when fear consumes them in protecting the very essence of individual privacy.
Today, America’s military engagements appear to be going south in Iraq and Afghanistan as recent violent up ticks have occurred in both locations. Despite an increasing tragic loss of American lives, gay and lesbian soldiers continue to be discharged at the rate of about two per day, according to the Service Members Legal Defense Network.
The Pentagon twiddles its thumbs on the question of opening gay soldiers serving, while pushing back against Obama’s expressed desire to include them in the ranks. Nonetheless, while the joint chiefs continue to throw out perfectly good soldiers for being gay, they have also called for a dramatic increase of soldiers to be deployed to Afghanistan. Their actions simply defy logic and undermine national security. The military’s decision-making worries me about our ability to win in Afghanistan in general, but I digress.
All of these facts were put into stark relief for me when Vice-President Joe Biden traveled to Iraq over the July 4th holiday to visit with soldiers and to preside over a naturalization ceremony in Baghdad of 237 soldiers. Many foreign nationals who enlist in the military today are being offered a fast-track path incentive to U.S. citizenship for serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
CONTACT: Vaishalee Raja, Equality California PHONE: 916-284-9187 EMAIL:vaishalee@eqca.org
California Senate Officially Calls for End to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Sacramento – The California Senate officially endorsed a resolution calling for the repeal of the discriminatory federal policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Sponsored by Equality California (EQCA) and introduced by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), the resolution calls on the United States Congress to pass and President Barack Obama to immediately sign the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009, which would end the unfair policy and allow gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans to serve openly in the armed forces. The resolution passed the State Senate in a 23-16 vote. The resolution will go before the State Assembly in January.
“The California Senate now joins the growing chorus of current and former service members who have called for the repeal of this discriminatory policy,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. “We applaud our representatives in the State Senate for standing up for what is right, and we urge our representatives in the Assembly and ultimately in Washington to do the same. President Obama and Congress must fulfill their promise to stand up for equality and overturn this policy now.”
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was first authorized in 1994. Since that time, more than 13,000 service members have been discharged under the policy, including hundreds of service members serving in ‘critical operations,’ such as counterintelligence, medicine, and translation. According to a General Accounting Office report, 323 language specialists have been discharged, resulting in a critical shortage of qualified translators in intelligence gathering posts. Currently, 149 members of the U.S. House have signed on as co-sponsors to the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” and replace it with a policy of non-discrimination across the armed forces. Earlier this summer 77 members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama requesting he immediately suspend discharges under the discriminatory policy.
“To be a quality soldier you must display courage, patriotism, commitment and ability – none of which have anything to do with sexual orientation,” said Senator Kehoe. “Overturning this shameful policy will help ensure that gay and lesbian Americans will be afforded the same opportunities as any other American who wants to serve our country.”
More than 24 other nations currently allow gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals to serve openly in their militaries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, alongside whom American forces have served in combat. Recent public opinion polls show that a majority of both the American public and active service members believe the policy should be overturned and that gay and lesbian Americans should be allowed to serve openly in the military.
Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender-rights advocacy organization in California. In the past decade, EQCA has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil-rights protections in the nation. EQCA has passed over 50 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org
In a very light-hearted and very brief interview (just over 2 minutes long), Associate Professor Melissa Harris-Lacewell and I discuss why she's at NetRoots Nation (her blogging at The Nation, her partner James Perry running for mayor of New Orleans, etc), as well as her thoughts are about Lane Hudson shouting a question to President Clinton at NetRoots Nation. Professor Harris-Lacewell also talks briefly about the importance of the netroots on reporting on news, as well as how the netroots can create news for main stream media.
And hey, in the interview I found out that both the good professor and I have two kats! How kewl is that?
Off camera, she and I discussed about how the African-American experience has many overlaps with trans experience ("passing" as white/"passing" as one's target sex; African-American "good hair"/trans "good hair"; how "articulate" is often a sideways compliment for African-Americans and trans people, etc.) , and said someone should write a book about that. I told her that I was actually talking to Pam (trying to convince Pam!) about how she and I should be writing a book of essays -- essays that include the similarities and differences between African-American experience and trans experience. I found it surprising that an academic of Prof. Harris-Lacewell's caliber actually was the one who brought up in our conversation that the comparison between African-American experience and trans experience might be the subject of an interesting book, as this is an idea I'd brought that up as a subject with Pam about two months ago.
I'm actually somewhat curious now if Pam and I could actually sell the book of essay ideas we've been talking about -- apparently Prof. Harris-Lacewell would at least be interested in reading the section of the essay book comparing African-American and trans experience.
Later today I'll have the separate interview up with her partner James Perry, where he discusses his run for mayor of New Orleans (another short interview).
NOTE FROM PAM: Lieutenant Dan Choi, the active duty Infantry officer, Iraq vet, and Arabic speaker who came out and was sent on the discharge path because of DADT -- under Commander in Chief President Barack Obama -- has penned a piece for the Blend about his view that a march on Washington is essential.
On Thursday, at Netroots Nation, former President Bill Clinton made it plain. The gay community did not deliver the political support in 1993 to prevent “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and DOMA. I personally take that as a challenge. I am marching on Washington.
I recognize that my perspective is different from others. I am new to the gay rights movement. It was less than two years ago that I fell in love and realized the true cost of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy – that my family was not really part of the Army family I had come to believe in. And it was only a few months ago that I came out publicly and, much to my surprise, found myself considered a “gay activist.”
And my experience working against Prop 8 in my home state of California was eye-opening for me. It turns out there are many others like me, young LGBT people who have been galvanized by the visible injustice of DADT, Prop 8, and DOMA. We are horrified, we are electrified, we are ready and eager to enlist in this fight – but like any new recruits, we need to be trained, and we need to be mobilized.
The Equality March is absolutely essential to me for two reasons.
First, because, for so many of us, this is our first time raising our voices. We need to stand together, in our nation’s capital, and claim our place as part of this magnificent national movement, at exactly this moment. More experienced activists and leaders need to mobilize, motivate, and train the less experienced – we all have to feel in their bones how critical this work is. And we need to come together as a community, so that when we go back to our cities, suburbs, and small towns, we remain part of the larger effort that spans the country.
Training is critical, and Equality Across America is committed to using this valuable time to provide information, workshops, and networking so that those who attend will go home ready to make things happen in their communities and states.
Second, the Senate hearings on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” convene in October. For LGBT veterans, NOW is the time to be visible for those who are invisible, to be heard while others must stay silent. This is a “mandatory formation” for all vets who gave up their service because they could no longer live a lie, or who were hounded out because of who they loved, and for those who support them.
I understand why veterans of the LGBT rights movement feel that we don’t need a national march. The concern that this will divert effort from other important work – passing marriage equality at the statehouses, for one.
But I disagree with the notion that making the trek to DC will take away from our other efforts. In fact, it will focus and re-energize the work we will do when we get home.
2009 can be a milestone, a tipping point. This is the year when we step up to our full citizenship as Americans: marrying and raising families, serving in our military. Join us in Washington on October 11 to tell the whole nation.
Here's a quick update on Equality Florida's conversations with Congresswoman Ros Lehtinen
Today, she issued a statement reaffirming her strong opposition to Don't Ask, Don't Tell. She also encourages us all to focus our efforts on those who have not yet signed. Constituent messages are particularly valuable for her colleagues.
To that end Equality Florida, Progress Florida and Service Members Legal Defense Network have teamed up to get our supporters to sign on to a letter that will be delivered to Congress.
In a move consistent with other contradictory behavior on LGBT issues, the Obama administration has directed its Justice Department to file an extraordinary motion to get Log Cabin Republicans' lawsuit against the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law thrown out of court, despite a federal judge's ruling that it can proceed. The 11th-hour move for interlocutory appeal, which seeks to stay proceedings and block discovery, was surprisingly formulated at the same time that President Obama was reassuring LGBT activists that he still firmly opposes the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law at the Human Rights Campaign's annual dinner earlier this month in Washington, DC.
Q Senator Lieberman's office confirmed yesterday that he has had talks with the White House about a "don't ask, don't tell" repeal bill. Have you asked him to carry the bill, to take the lead on the bill? And have you been in discussions with any other senators about doing the same?
The bill, containing an all-ranks 3.4 percent military raise, a 30,000 increase in the size of the Army and a repeal of Tricare fee increases that took effect last week, is HR 2647, the 2010 defense authorization act.
My sockpuppet Bookworm Bob thinks PFOX is crazy. 
Paul did the same thing in Athens...
Probably. But, the solution -- the tool -- to end this disparity is the tool to allow all lesbian, gay, and bisexual people to serve in the military openly. We need to just repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. 
Anderson Cooper, bless him, repeatedly tried to get the shrill doyenne of discrimination Elaine Donnelly to actually answer questions. She tried steamrolling him and Dan Choi several times, but when you put her on the mic, the batsh*ttery spews forth as predictably as Old Faithful.
The Blend has learned that 
Remembering Ted Kennedy for his Compassion and Courage
Why I support the March on Washington
