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HRC President Joe Solmonese released the following statement
:
“We were proud when the President stood before the American people and declared in his State of the Union that it is time to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ If he’s going to uphold that commitment, however, he must ensure that his Administration doesn’t work against it. The time for repeal is this year, and the time for his leadership is now.
“Over the last several years, I have met countless veterans who have sacrificed in the name of freedom, but in doing so were unfairly forced to sacrifice their integrity by hiding who they are. They love this country, have put their lives on the line to defend it, and serve just as courageously as all our men and women in uniform. Yet, they are forced to serve under the discriminatory DADT law, or to not serve at all.
“While these veterans – and so many Americans in support of them – are fighting alongside our President and many Congressional leaders to achieve repeal, today we took a step backward when the Department of Justice filed a brief in defense of the law. The brief relies on arguments that were debunked and discredited in 1993, and even more so now. When military leaders – including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, General Collin Powell and Vice President Cheney – have the courage to stand up and say it is time to throw out the discriminatory policies of the past, it is also time for this Administration to show leadership, move the debate forward, and work with Congress to get repeal done.
“This year presents an unprecedented opportunity to repeal the law and to finally recognize that all brave men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line for this country deserve to serve openly. While the Pentagon undertakes its review of how to implement repeal, Congress can and must move forward in repealing DADT in the same bill that put it into law more than 17 years ago – the defense authorization act. And the President can and must provide the leadership necessary to get the law passed this year.”
NOTE: Blenders, I want you to remember a couple of things — 1) Notice that sentence above that I have in boldface. Bookmark it, email it to yourself, do whatever it takes to ensure you can find this statement down the road; and 2) This statement, taped by yours truly at the HRC Carolinas dinner back in Februrary — a promise by Mr. Solmonese that DADT would be repealed this year.
The defense authorization act — the easiest way for this administration to bury DADT this year is to include a repeal measure here, rather than send it out as a standalone bill. A no-brainer. And that’s the question that needs to be asked and answered.
Bottom line – has this administration, with its continual playing of jackass footsie about paths and roads and other nonsense, already made its decision about inclusion in the defense authorization for this year — as in NO?
It’s time to clear the air — yes or no? Has the decision been made and when and who decided it? Is it a done deal? A lot rides on this question – certainly more than what many of you are probably aware of.
12 Comments
We’re Watching, SolmoneseJoe Solmonese does not get a cent from me until DADT is repealed – his promise, his responsibility.
Days left for Joe Solmonese’s promise to donors of DADT repeal in 2010 to be fulfilledJoe S. & HRC make a lot of promisees! What has HRC actually accomplished? Your money can be spent on Organizations that don’t Pay their Presidents enough to afford lots of expensive designer suits!
Find a local GLBT organization (not affiliated with HRC) and donate to them. You might be able to get progress instead of impediments!
Ummm…The HRC asked for donations for the repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell of a $150K by the end of March in the same month that HRC Executive Director Joe Solmonese was called an “ELEGANT ACTIVIST” in Washington Life Magazine‘s naming of 25 well dressed, influential people in the magazine’s 2010 Fashion Awards.
Now Barney Frank has said President Obama hax nixed having repeal of DADT as part of 2010′s Defense Authorization Act.
Am I missing something in my dot connecting? Exactly how are we supposed to be repealing DADT this year by the current non-repeal schema of the President’s? Why is the HRC fundraising on the repeal this year when apparently it’s known in DC that the President isn’t on board with repeal of DADT? Does the HRC have some insider information that’s telling them the President will change his mind on DADT if $150K thrown at lobbying Congress? And too, how exactly is, or how exactly would, $150K be spent on lobbying Congress?
I’m somewhat confused on the DADT news and messaging regarding Congress, the President, and the HRC that’s filtering out of the beltway. The news information just all doesn’t seem to correlate in a manner that makes sense.
Yep…. still watching Joe.
Definitely WatchingI’m with AJLaska and others…no more money to HRC until they start producing!
AgreedI am neither renewing nor donating another dollar to HRC.
Joe’s retirementSo when can you put up a similar calendar countdown of how many days we are going to allow JOE to remain in place?
I would love to watch that clock tick down…..
Mr Joe SolmoneseMr. Joe Solmonese was appointed President of the Human Rights Campaign of the United States and its affiliate, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, on March 9, 2005. A native of Attleboro, Massachusetts, Solmonese, aged 40 at the time of his appointment, lives in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Boston University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications.
http://www.articlesbase.com/he…
“What has HRC actually accomplished?”1. Funneling money from gays to the Democratic Party.
2. Providing political cover for an administration that is actively trying to deny our civil rights.
3. Pretended to be an organization for the advancement of the gay citizenry.
4. Put someone in charge who apparently thinks posing in expensive clothing impresses anyone who cares about what matters.
Not worthyHRC and Joe are not worthy enough of my money. They chose to sit out the prop 8 battle because they thought 2010 was too soon to take it up again. That has to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard from a group who claims that their sole purpose is to fight for gay rights. There is never a valid excuse to withdraw from the fight. I found other organizations to give money to. Organizations that are actually fighting for gay equality.
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