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Nearly a year ago, speaking on the ongoing policy negotiations on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal, Lt. Dan Choi said in a statement:
“My question still remains … When exactly will the discharges stop?”
Now, months after DADT was declared “repealed” we’re still asking, when will the discharges end?
Today, Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek Morado, after six years of service to the Navy, faces a discharge hearing because he is gay.From Lt Choi’s video statement.
“My question still remains, and I’ve yet to find anyone who signed off on yesterday’s compromise able to give me a direct answer to, ‘When exactly will the discharges stop?,’ Until the President signs the papers that fully and immediately end the firing of patriotic, gay and lesbian service members, then there is no cause for celebration and no reason to trumpet mission accomplished for a job not yet done.
My concern here is for my fellow soldiers serving in uniform and how this law will affect them. We’ve heard a lot of talk about how this compromise can work politically, but on the day this passes Congress, no one has been able to explain how this will have any impact at all on those of us serving in uniform.”
Lt. Choi was right to be concerned. The discharges are ongoing to this day.
The gay community has been sold a bill of goods. The circumstances of Derek Morado’s case no way align with the “kinder, gentler” Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell we had been told would be effective immediately. The process started for him on November 8, 2009, when someone anonymously outed him after seeing his MySpace page.
It’s too late for Lt. Choi. He got his discharge papers in July. It isn’t too late for Derek Morado. Please add your name to your protest petition. We should be better nation than this. This is a disgrace.
13 Comments
Disgusting this hearing is being held after repeal.
And I say that as a veteran.
I guess that settles it.I’m going to have to wait to potentially sign up for the reserves until there’s a clear date for actual repeal (and one that would be before I head out for basic training). There’s just too much floating around with my real name attached to it which could lead to…well, basically the same bullshit that Petty Officer Morado is being put through.
In the meantime, is there anything a civilian can do to help out?
They are sending a message to LGBs still in uniformthat they will always find a way.
It seems perfectly legitimate…that his hearing will and probably should go forward.
He was caught back in 2009 when the policy was still law. He was caught even before the DOD implemented a more lenient version of the policy.
Thus it makes sense that they would not leave this case hanging indefinately.
He has not been discharged…he’s just getting a hearing. In light of the legal repeal and pending policy change, the review board might not discharge him.
Barack W. Bush’s administration at workHey Hey
Ho Ho
Obama loves
the status quo!
I’m sure he has nothing to worry about.After all, he has a fierce advocate in the White House who would never sanction such rank injustice. Oh, wait…
When will the discharges end?Not for a very long time. Perhaps not in the next decade, if the Republicans play their cards right. The gay community was somewhat sold a bill of goods, but they also so despirately wanted to buy one that they practically refused to read the bill, even if it was only a couple of pages long. The bill states in part:
In other words, the discharges won’t end for 60 days after a new policy is approved to replace the old one. For a new policy to be approved, the President and military have to come up with one and present it to the House and Senate defense committees. You can count on those committees claiming authority over deciding if the proposed policies meet the stated standards of “military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the Armed Forces.” John McCain, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will use absolutely every bit of influence he has to say that whatever policy they come up with does not meet those standards. The Republican controlled House Armed Services Committee will reject any policy presented as not meeting those standards, because they will hold firm to the position that homosexuality is inconsistent with military service, and as such, any policy that allows gays to serve openly fails to meet the required standards.
That all means that it’s very unlikely that DADT will be repealed in the current congressional session. You shouldn’t hold your breath to see DADT repeal before 2013. After that, you have to look at other political winds. 2011 is a redistricting year, and Republicans seized control of state governments is a very large number of states in the 2010 election. That doesn’t bode well for hopes of Democrats regaining control of the Congress in the 2012 election. They really need to gain back both houses for the new policy to gain a congressional stamp of approval. Also, since the progress of the new policy completely hinges on the administration coming up with one and presenting it to Congress, if Obama is not re-elected in 2012, a new Republican president will simply let the repeal die, leaving the old policy in place. If that Republican president can be gain re-election in 2016, you’re looking at 2021 before there’s any serious hope of a political climate in DC that will approve a new policy to replace DADT.
Why do you think they pushed this thing until the very last minute to pass? By passing it when it was too late for a Democratic controlled House to act on it, they effectively rendered the bill moot.
The best hope for repealing DADT remains in the courts. The lawsuits must continue.
Ummm…A new POLICY, does not require congressional approval. That falls within the authority of the executive. All the new law requires is that the executive branch certifies that a new policy is in place and that there won’t be any disruptions.
The GOP can whine all they want, but 60 days after the President and his subordinates certify that all necessary changes have been made, DADT officially dies and there is nothing that the GOP or congress could do about it.
I hope you’re rightbut the House Armed Services Committee has already started calling hearings on overseeing the implementation of the repeal. In other words, they are going to attempt to assert authority over approving any new policy. The question then becomes if the President has the cojones to stand up to them.
Yes, there’s something they can do –They can pressure DINO Obama (or the SecDef or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs; only one of the three is necessary) to delay implementation indefinitely. They can also promise to reinstate DADT should they ever gain the Presidency or get a majority in both houses of Congress; the GOP and the Democrats can agree on this, as it means the Democrats can hold hostage the careers of any LGB servicemembers. Yeah, a good chunk of the military would oppose reinstating DADT and dumping any out servicemembers; but they can rely on the media to blame the people being let go, and the increasing dominionist presence in the officer corps is standing by to stifle any dissent.
GetEQUAL reports PO Morado has been recommended for retention.Translation: Sanity prevailed, he was not discharged.
The reason to repeal DADT……is to right a wrong that not only discriminates against lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers, but also harms the national defence of the United States.
The real remedy here would be for the Obama Administration to put a hold on DADT discharges. It would acknowledge that the DADT policy is still in place until certification takes place, and at the same time put on hold a policy that damages the national defense of the country.