Florida Agenda

By Christian Alexander

“Disclosure.” It is one of the few words in the English language that still disturbs me.  In fact, it’s right up there with racial slurs, ethnic slurs, the all-to-often used four letter words (f…, sh… etc.), and the word “faggot” (I’ve never cared for either being called one from some uneducated straight person, nor do I like when gay men call each other that word). I was brought up to have some semblance of etiquette and some language just won’t do.

My third (and last) “husband,” if you will, and I eventually come to this conversation fairly late in our relationship. We had this old fashioned courtship thing going on, straight out of a good romance novel. From the night we met, there was instant chemistry. It was a fairy tale. (No pun intended. Okay, maybe a little intended.)

After having been on several dates, the night came when he took me back to his place. I was elated and terrified at the same time. Here was this stunning, witty, intelligent, charming, talented man. He was interested in ME! He laughed appropriately at all my jokes, and when his lips were pressed against mine, I’d forget all about my HIV and any thing else that was on my mind.

He gave me the requisite tour, and poured some cocktails. I think I managed one sip of my drink and he got out half a sentence before we were literally ripping each other’s clothes off. He gently took my hand and led me to the bedroom. Knowing what was about to happen, I HAD to tell him. I had to “disclose” my health status.

Now mind you, we are both half naked in his bed, and I was longing to be with him. Before things could go further, I somewhat abruptly ruined the mood by having “the talk.” We did and it was wonderful – at least for a while. Until, that is, he started to pull a way

from me.

He told me that he was falling for me, but he was too afraid. Afraid he’d become attached to me and I would get sick, or worse the possibility that he could catch it as well. We parted as friends, but there was just too much emotion there and I haven’t heard from him in over a decade.

My therapist owes him a pretty sizeable debt of gratitude. I think my issues with this time period paid for his new BMW, but I can’t be sure. But, as ever, I digress.

After having been through all this, I began to wonder when the appropriate time was to tell someone I was interested in (and hopefully was interested in me) that I was carrying HIV. Waiting until you are in the bedroom getting ready to be together is definitely not the route to take.  Dinner never seemed to work well either. “Could you pass the salt, oh and by the way” – I tried that once or twice.

I had what I thought to be a good conversation about it with one man in particular. I still thought that even after he hadn’t returned from the bathroom after a few minutes. Turns out, he just left. But, at least he had the courtesy to pick up the check on his way out while I sat there oblivious.

After I sat there for a good half-hour, angry with my date for having abandoned me, I began to wonder how I would handle that kind of news from someone I had just recently met. Personally, I’ve found it best to just blurt it out when the conversation allows. Better to get it out of the way. If they don’t run for the hills, there are always possibilities. If they stick around, who knows?

The sad thing is, AIDS is a four-letter word. It’s the elephant in the room that no one wants to mention. The community, at least from what I have seen personally, seems to have slipped into a “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” mood.

My advice? For what it’s worth, if you are one of the many people in the community with HIV/AIDS … don’t hide it.  We’ve all come out of the closet once. Just think of this as the spare-room closet. It may have taken me 17 years to realize, but this is NOT something to be ashamed of.  Unfortunately, it is a part of who we are. Granted, it wasn’t a welcome addition. But when you just let it be the unspoken elephant, all you end up with is a lot of peanut shells.

Follow your dreams. Once in a while the universe smiles on you!

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Alex Vaughn

This past Tuesday marked the end of the 18-year-long policy – “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The policy was introduced  as a compromise measure in 1993 by President Bill Clinton who campaigned on the promise to allow all citizens to serve in the military regardless of sexual orientation. Since that time, many have fought for its repeal.

Leading the assault on DADT, as it became known, were groups pushing to end the “undesirable” tag that labeled known homosexuals in the military.

As the change finally becomes official, there seems to be little fanfare. No planned celebrations at the White House. No street parties like those in NYC as a result of the passing of gay marriage laws. Perhaps this is simply because no one really wants to draw light to the fact that it has taken this long to end a law that has caused such distress, and instilled in our culture the word “shame” being associated with military service.

The extent of that shame is further illustrated by the fact that many of the 100,000  “undesirable” former members of the military have come forward to ask that their discharge papers be changed to “honorable.” The Navy has already taken a step in the right direction, reaching out at last to Melvin Dwork, who was expelled from the Navy in 1944, in the middle of World War II, after his own boyfriend in the service reported him. He is now 89.

Last month, the one-time corpsman was notified that the “undesirable” discharge on his military record would finally be changed to “honorable.” Dwork says that because of his “undesirable” discharge, he was unable to draw GI benefits and is now in need of an expensive hearing aid that he might be able to afford if he got the pension he deserved. The Navy has said his benefits will be reinstated retroactively, although it’s not clear whether Dwork will receive back pay for the last 67 years. It would be the right thing to do. But can the US even afford such actions? Probably not.

In a September 12 letter, Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), chairman of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, urged the Department of Defense to delay proceedings because of “unresolved paperwork problems.” They didn’t succeed and they won’t, because this battle has been won, and for Republicans, it is time to retreat.

Any further attempt to overturn the end of DADT will only serve to highlight the movement, and cause light to be shone on something that should go away quietly. Why celebrate an error in U.S. history? Rather, as more and more “undesireables” come forward, their stories and anecdotes will allow the nation and the world to put a personal face on this victory for the many service members who can finally be recognized for their service to this country. These people are the reason to celebrate.

Ultimately, the end of DADT will go down in history. Unlike Stonewall, however, it won’t highlight the fights, protests or shame. If anything, it will highlight the good of the US government system: how one president (Clinton) made steps at reform and how another (Obama) took the baton to the finish line. Is this a very hallmark view? Yes, absolutely. I studied American History! While we may lament the decades it took to implement change, the important thing to note is that, in the end, change happened.

Quietly, yet with determination, the military is changing its policies and retraining its personnel. While this is not something being publicized, it is a task of necessity and is being done as the military executes many of its missions, with dignity and very little fanfare.
Yet, the fight is not over. Equal rights for all is the aim of this game, not just in the military, but across the board – in marriage, the workplace, schools and universities. Discrimination affects everyone, and while it continues to exist, there is no cause for real celebration.

Whilst researching this piece, something else came to mind. I suspect another reason for the quiet acceptance of this historical event is the continuing bigotry within the community. Many people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender still question whether gays should actually be allowed into the military.

There was an article in the Florida Agenda before I became its editor about perceptions of the community towards stereotypical gay men and women within certain job roles and the reality of whether the community would even accept them – let alone society as a whole. For instance, would you hire an overly effeminate lawyer to defend you in court? Would you hire a masculine woman to groom you? Like it or not, prejudice towards capability is as rife within the community as it is outside of it.

That said, go further and ask yourself whether you have thought what so many others do, and have yet to say? What do I mean? Well, military porn, hot sailors, the gay old Navy. You with me yet? Do you want a man in the military who is concentrating more on the package or emotions of his bunk buddy over his desire to protect his country? Remember the parodies of gays in the military where there is one guy who claims he can’t shoot the enemy, because he is too cute? Granted, that is extreme, but the thought is there.

Could you actually stand up against a movement with that as an excuse? Well, it has been one since WWI!

So perhaps the simple reason that there is no fanfare and no big gay parade is because this law that we all know should not be in place is one that we don’t all feel involved in and would rather just let it pass. Yet don’t forget a quiet victory is still a step in the right direction for the big picture of equality for all.

Alex Vaughn is the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Agenda. He can be reached at editor@FloridaAgenda.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Servicemem-bers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) unveiled a comprehensive new legal guide for LGBT service members, veterans, future recruits and their families, creating a first-of-its-kind overview of laws and policies related to military service in the U.S. following the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), as well

as practical information for advocates and friends of LGBT service members. “Freedom to Serve: The Definitive Guide to LGBT Military Service” is downloadable at www.sldn.org.

“The information contained in this legal guide will help service members, prospective service members, their families, and friends make informed decisions about how to serve successfully as we move beyond ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ It will also assist them in understanding how to protect themselves when necessary and how to respond if they are targeted in any way for their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity,” said SLDN Legal Director David McKean.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Barack Obama last week certified the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the policy preventing gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military.

“Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

The move came after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the Joint Chiefs of Staff certified that the military was ready to end the ban.

Each member of the Joint Chiefs had to submit a recommendation to Panetta, indicating that they are far enough in their training to repeal DADT, and that it will not have an impact on military readiness.

“As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country,” Obama wrote.

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy forced gays and lesbians to keep their sexual orientation secret if they wanted to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Last year, Obama signed a landmark law repealing the policy.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Shultz (FL-22) issued a statement concerning the recent federal appeals court ruling declaring the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy unconstitutional.

“Today, a federal appeals court issued a historic order blocking the U.S. military from enforcing its discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on gays and lesbians serving in the military. This injunction finally eviscerates the last remnants of a discriminatory, dishonorable policy that will soon be off the books for good.

For too long, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell has forced Americans to lie about who they are in order to serve their country. Beginning today, that will no longer be the case.

“I commend President Obama for his steadfast commitment to ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, as well as my House and Senate colleagues who have resolutely stood together to ensure that our service members no longer have to choose between serving their country and living an authentic life. To all of those in our Armed Forces who have had to hide their true identities, thank you for your service to our country. Today, we stand for you as you have stood for America-unwaveringly, and with the utmost pride and respect.”

July 26, 1948 – President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981 establishing “equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the Armed Forces without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.”

May 5, 1950 – Congress passed the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which was signed by President Harry S. Truman and took effect on May 31, 1951. The Code set up discharge rules for homosexual service members.

March 15, 1957 – A Navy study released the Crittenden Report, which stated that “homosexual service members [do] not pose a greater security risk than heterosexual personnel.” However, it added, “Individuals and those who have indulged in homosexual behavior cannot acceptably serve in the military,” but admits that the concept “persists without supporting data, but which cannot be disproved at this time.”

January 28, 1982 – A Defense Directive issued by the Pentagon, stated that “Homosexuality is incompatible with military service” and people who engaged in homosexual acts or stated that they were homosexuals or bisexuals will be discharged.

June 30, 1986 – The Supreme Court rules that there is no fundamental constitutional right for people engaging in homosexual acts. The ruling in the Bowers v. Hardwick case was used to uphold the military’s constitutional right to discharge a person for homosexual behavior.

December 1988 – The Personnel Security Research and Education Center issued two reports examining whether homosexual service members posed security risks or were unsuitable for service. The reports “found no data to support the ban on gays in the military.”

October 1991 – While campaigning for President, Democratic candidate Bill Clinton promises, if elected, to lift the ban on homosexuals serving in the military.

March 19, 1993 – The Senate and House Armed Services Committees hold hearing on the military’s anti-homosexual policy. The generals and admirals that testified were against lifting the ban on gays, stating it would be harmful to national security and the welfare of the military. Secretary of Defense Les Aspin stated that he felt that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (as President Clinton called the compromise) would provide a sensible balance. The hearings continued through July 22, 1993.

May 1993 – In the Senate and House Armed Services Committees hearings, congressional support begins to emerge over the new approach described by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sam Nunn as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).

November 30, 1993 – President Clinton signs the 1994 National Defense Authorization Act into law, which includes the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

March 16, 2000 – The Defense Department’s Military Environment with Respect to Homosexual Conduct findings. The survey showed that 80% of those that responded had heard offensive anti-gay speech in the previous year and 37% reported witnessing negative behavior towards suspected homosexuals in the military.

August 2003 – Retired Rear Admiral John Hutson, who, as Judge Advocate General of the Navy, had been responsible for enforcing DADT, called for the policy’s repeal. In an article in The National Law Journal, Hutson called the gay ban “odious” and “virtually unworkable in the military.”

February 23, 2005 – In a report released by the Government Accountability Office concerning DADT, the key findings were that during the years 1994 through 2003, the military separated nearly 9,500 service members for homosexual conduct at a cost of $95 million to replace them.

March 2006 – The Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could withhold funding from universities that refuse to permit military recruiters on campus. Some universities forbid the presence of military recruiters because of discrimination against gays in the military.

January 2007 – In an op-ed printed in the New York Times, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General John Shalikashvili, calls for repeal of the ban on gays serving in the military.

February 27, 2007 – A Zogby International poll reveals that 73% of active duty troops are comfortable with the idea of serving with gay people, and one quarter of those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan personally knew someone in their unit who was gay or lesbian. Congressman Marty Meehan targets repeal of DADT and reintroduces the Military Readiness Act. The Act failed to pass Congress.

March 2007 – A commission made up of economists and defense leaders, including former Defense Secretary William Perry, concluded that DADT had now cost taxpayers over $363 million since 1994 to enforce and train replacements.

April 4, 2007 – In response to calls for repeal, President George W. Bush stated, “I do believe the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy is good policy.”

June 13, 2007 – Rep. Ellen Tauscher became the lead sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, assuming the lead from Rep. Meehan in anticipation of his July retirement from Congress.

July 2007 – A CBS news investigation revealed that 8,000 criminal conviction waivers were issued because the army was so desperate for new recruits. At least 100 of those were waivers for felony violent crime and drug convictions.

October 1, 2007 – Admiral Mike Mullen is installed as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his confirmation hearings, he said that he supported the ban on gays serving in the military, but was open to hearing Congress debate it.

November 29, 2007 – Then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama told the Human Rights Campaign: “I will work for a full repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’. That work should have started long ago. It will start when I take office. America is ready to get rid of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy; all that is required is leadership.” Obama campaigns on full repeal of the law.

November 30, 2007 – A letter to Congress urging repeal of DADT is signed by 28 retired admirals and generals.

July 19, 2008 – A Washington Post/ABC News poll revealed that 75% of Americans believe in the repeal of DADT.

December 12, 2008 – In response to a question from Fareed Zarkaria about DADT, former Secretary of State General Colin Powell states: “We definitely should reevaluate it. It’s been fifteen years since we put in ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ which was a policy that became a law. I didn’t want it to become a law, but it became a law. Congress felt that strongly about it. But it’s been fifteen years and attitudes have changed. And so I think it is time for the Congress, since it is their law, to have a full review of it and I am quite sure that is what President-Elect Obama will want to do.”

January 21, 2009 – White House Press Secretary Gibbs states that President Obama will repeal DADT, but adds that there are more important issues to address first, including the economy.

March 3, 2009 – Rep. Ellen Tauscher re-introduces the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to Congress with 112 co-sponsors.

March 19, 2009 – Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq veteran fluent in Arabic, announced that he was gay on “The Rachel Maddow Show.” From that point forward, Choi became an activist working for the repeal of DADT.

May 20, 2009 – Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, a decorated 18-year fighter weapons systems officer, appears on “The Rachel Maddow Show” to discuss his impending discharge under DADT. Fehrenbach was outed after he was falsely accused of raping a man.

March 29, 2009 – When asked about official efforts to end the ban, Defense Secretary Robert Gates tells Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday”: “I think the President and I feel like we’ve got a lot on our plates right now, and let’s push that one down the road a little bit.”

June 5, 2009 – A Gallup poll reveals 69% of adults favor repeal of DADT, a 6% increase from five years earlier.

June 9, 2009 – Judge Virginia Phillips denies the Justice Department’s attempt to dismiss the Log Cabin Republicans’ lawsuit challenging the DADT policy as unconstitutional.

June 22, 2009 – 77 members of the House of Representatives write an open letter to President Obama calling for the leadership he promised during his campaign to repeal DADT.

June 30, 2009 – Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that Pentagon lawyers are trying to make DADT “more flexible, more humane” until it is eliminated.

July 13, 2009 – On CNN, President Obama admits he could sign an executive order freezing discharges under DADT by Executive “stop loss” power, but admits he has chosen not to do so, stating it is Congress’s responsibility to change the law.

October 12, 2009 – On CNN, Rep. Joe Sestak, a retired Navy Vice Admiral, stated: “We should have done away with ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ years ago.

October 18, 2009 – Rep. Duncan Hunter, Jr., a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, “For one, it would directly impact readiness and operability, a concern that is shared by more than 1,000 retired officers.”

November 24, 2009 – Federal District Court Judge Virginia Philips denies the Obama Justice Department’s motion to stay proceedings and block the Log Cabin Republicans’ challenge to DADT.

December 16, 2009 – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has instructed her fellow Democrats to not take up any “controversial” legislation unless the Senate acts on it first. This included a repeal of DADT.

January 14, 2010 – Advisers to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen advise him to push for a delay in the start of the repeal of DADT, suggesting that the Pentagon should wait until late summer 2011 to send a proposed replacement law to Congress expecting that a vote on DADT repeal would not happen until 2012.

January 27, 2010 – In his State of the Union Address, President Obama stated: “This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It’s the right thing to do.”

February 2, 2010 – Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, both Defense Secretary Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen stated that they supported the repeal of DADT. Senator John McCain stated his support of retaining DADT by stating: “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has been an imperfect but effective policy, and at this moment, when we’re asking more of our military than at any time in recent memory, we should not repeal this law.”

February 22, 2010 – White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs again refused to say whether the White House supports DADT repeal in 2010.

February 23, 2010 – Army Secretary John McHugh, Army Chief of Staff George Casey and Air Force Chief of Staff Norman Schwartz testify before congressional committees that they are ready and willing to work within the framework for repeal of DADT.

March 2, 2010 – As a result of the President’s State of the Union Address, Defense Secretary Gates sends a memo ordering a comprehensive review for the repeal of DADT. He starts a working group to conduct the review and “examine the issues associated with repeal of the law should it occur and will include an implementation plan that addresses the impacts, if any, on the Department.” The report is due by December 1, 2010.

March 3, 2010 – Versions of Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which include the repeal of DADT, are introduced to the Armed Services Committees of both chambers of Congress.

March 15, 2010 – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated that she doesn’t want the House to move on banning DADT until the DOD finishes their review of the implications of banning DADT. She then asked the Pentagon to speed up their review process and that she supports a moratorium on discharges.

March 18, 2010 – Lt. Dan Choi and Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo handcuff themselves to the White House fence to protest DADT. Both plead not guilty.

April 15, 2010 – House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer stated that the House has no plans to include DADT repeal in the Defense Authorization Bill for 2011.

April 19, 2010 – Politico reported that the White House is quietly pressu

ring Congress to delay a vote on DADT until after the midterm elections.

April 19, 2010 – While at a fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer, President Obama is interrupted by hecklers demanding the repeal of DADT be included in the Defense Authorization Bill.

April 21, 2010 – White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs admitted that the President opposes repeal of DADT before completion of the Pentagon’s study, which is not scheduled to be completed until December 2010.

May 2, 2010 – Former Democratic Chairman Howard Dean joins a protest in front of the White House supporting the repeal of DADT.

May 19, 2010 – House Armed Services Committee Chair Ike Skelton confirmed that DADT repeal will not be included in the 2011 Defense Authorization Bill. Sen. Carl Levin says that he will push forward with including repeal language in the Senate version of the bill, but only if he can get the votes in Committee during markup next week.

May 25, 2010 – Rep. Susan Collins becomes the first Senate Republican to support DADT repeal.

May 27, 2010 – Congressman Patrick Murphy introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2011 that would repeal the relevant sections of DADT sixty days after a study by the U.S. Department of Defense is completed. The House passes the amendment.

June 2, 2010 – Rep. Duncan Hunter believes the debate on DADT is just another distraction from real military threats and other priorities.

June 9, 2010 – The Pentagon restates that investigations and discharges of gay and lesbian personnel will continue under President Obama while awaiting DADT repeal.

July 9, 2010 – The Pentagon sends out a confidential survey to 400,000 active-duty and reserve service members to determine their views on the impact of repealing DADT.

July 14, 2010 – The charges against Lt. Dan Choi and Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo for their actions in March and April on the White House fence are dropped.

August 11, 2010 – Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach sues to block his DADT discharge, claiming that his case should be decided under the 2008 Witt Standard. The Witt Standard says that the burden of proof is upon the military to show that the gay or lesbian service member is a hazard to good order and discipline and that discharge is contingent upon meeting this burden of proof.

September 9, 2010 – U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips rules that the prohibition on gay service members serving openly is unconstitutional because it violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of gays and lesbians.

September 20, 2010 – Lady Gaga staged a rally in Portland, Maine, in support of DADT repeal, calling on her fans to call Maine Republican Senators Snowe and Collins and urge them both to vote for the National Defense Authorization Act with DADT repeal language attached. Sen. Snowe refuses to vote for repeal prior to the Pentagon study’s completion.

September 21, 2010 – Senate Democrats fail to break the Republican filibuster of the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes DADT repeal. The filibuster is led by Senator John McCain.

September 24, 2010 – Congressman Jared Polis sends a letter to President Obama asking him to stop appealing Judge Phillip’s ruling and allow DADT to end.

October 12, 2010 – The injunction issued by Judge Phillips ends the military’s ban on openly gay troops serving in the military.

October 13, 2010 – White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs states that the Justice Department will continue to appeal Judge Phillip’s ruling that DADT is unconstitutional, saying that it’s the process that is important.

October 17, 2010 – The DOJ files a request for a stay of Judge Phillips’ injunction against the DOD citing concerns over religious objections and whether barracks should be segregated.

October 19, 2010 – Judge Virginia Phillips denies the DOJ’s request for a stay of injunction in Log Cabin Republicans vs. United States of America, effectively rendering DADT un-enforceable.

October 19, 2010 – The Pentagon informs military recruiters that they must abide by Judge Phillips’ court ruling, which overturned DADT and accept gay applicants; however, recruiters must inform potential recruits that the policy could be reinstated at any moment.

October 20, 2010 – The Obama administration files a request with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stay Judge Phillips’ lower court injunction banning enforcement of DADT. The administration believes that the policy should be repealed through Congress.

October 21, 2010 – A three judge federal appeals panel temporarily blocks Judge Phillips’ injunction, finding in favor of the Obama DOJ.

October 21, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert Gates releases guidance wherein only a service secretary can authorize a DADT discharge.

October 28, 2010 – The Pentagon study is leaked to the press. The results are favorable to repeal of DADT.

November 2, 2010 – The appeals court indefinitely extends the stay on Judge Phillips’ ruling and orders the administration to continue to enforce DADT until the appeal is heard.

November 5, 2010 – The legal team for Log Cabin Republicans files an appeal with U.S. Supreme Court over the stay of Judge Phillips’ injunction granted by the 9th Circuit Court.

November 8, 2010 – After the 2010 congressional elections, Defense Secretary Gates tells reporters: “I would like to see the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ but I’m not sure what the prospects for that are, and we’ll just have to see.”

November 10, 2010 – White House Communications Director, Dan Pfeiffer, says that DADT repeal is “at least worth a shot” in the lame-duck session of Congress.

November 12, 2010 – The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to lift the stay of Judge Phillips’ injunction.

Nov. 17, 2010 – A CNN poll shows that a growing majority of Americans, 72%, support repeal of DADT, up from 67% in September.

November 18, 2010 – Sen. Joe Lieberman states that he has the 60 Senate votes needed to end a filibuster to permit a vote on repealing DADT. This includes 2 Republicans, Senators Susan Collins and Dick Lugar, provided the Republicans get the additional debate time they want.

November 30, 2010 – At a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, release the recommendations of the working group. Gates recommends that the DADT be repealed.

December 2, 2010 – Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense, told the Senate Armed Services Committee they wanted repeal to happen in 2010.

December 9, 2010 – Senate Repub-licans filibuster a vote on repealing the DADT as part of the defense reauthorization bill. Democrats in the House moved ahead with their own repeal and Sen. Joe Lieberman is optimistic that the House vote will give repeal new momentum in the Senate.

December 15, 2010 – House members again approved a bill to repeal DADT.  Delivery renewed momentum to end the ban on gays in the military ahead of a possible Senate vote.

December 18, 2010 – The Senate voted to repeal DADT, sending to President Obama a bill ending the 17-year ban on gays serving openly in the military.

December 22, 2010 – President Obama signed the bill allowing for repeal of DADT. However, repeal has yet to be certified, and DADT remains the law as the new provisions are phased into effect.

May 11, 2011 – Three Republican anti-gay amendments are voted into the House National Defense Authorization Amendment. The first would expand DADT repeal certification to include the service chiefs. The second would prohibit Defense Department facilities from being used in same-sex wedding ceremonies in states where it is legal. The amendments pass in the House.

June 27, 2011 – The Pentagon confirms that it is still investigating and discharging gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members.

July 6, 2011 – A federal appeals court barred further enforcement of the U.S. military’s ban on openly gay service members.

ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. Department of Defense issued a memo last Friday directing secretaries of military departments to ensure compliance with an appeals court ruling that ordered an immediate halt to the enforcement of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The Pentagon will also begin accepting applications from prospective recruits who identify themselves as homosexuals.

The bill repealing DADT that was signed by President Obama last December stated that the full implementation of the law would take place 60 days after the bill was  certified by the Defense Department.

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates certified his portion of the bill as one of his last duties as head of the armed forces just two weeks ago. However, last Wednesday, the federal appeals court in California ordered the U.S. Defense Department to immediately stop enforcing DADT. The court said the law is unconstitutional because it treats gay Americans differently under the law.

In its ruling, the federal appeals court said the government does not contend that the law is constitutional and added, “The circumstances and balance of hardships have changed, and [the government] can no longer satisfy the demanding standard for issuance of a stay.”

The court gave the U.S.  Defense Department 10 days to respond as to whether or not the government plans to continue to defend the constitutionality of the policy in court.

Troops are currently undergoing training programs to clarify the law and ensure a smooth transition to its repeal.

Most of that training is expected to be completed by this summer, yet there is no requirement that 100 percent of the force must be trained prior to repeal, Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said.

Activists from coast-to-coast were thrilled with the news, aespecially since the military has continued discharges, even after DADT was officially repealed.

Alexander Nicholson, executive director for Servicemembers United, released a statement, “With the wait for certification dragging out beyond a reasonable timeframe, the Court has once again stepped in to require the Pentagon to stop enforcing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and this time it very well may be for good.”

He was sure to warn, however, that “servicemembers should still remain extremely cautious with information regarding their sexual orientation for the time being.

The issue remains in a state of flux, although guarded optimism is certainly warranted.”

In a written statement, the Human Rights Campaign said: “Today’s decision is a harbinger that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is on its way out. With troops trained on the new policy and senior military leaders having said the process is working without significant disruption, DADT is on its last legs. The time for certification is now in order to clearly and plainly wipe this damaging law off the books once and for all.”

Click Here to Go to comprehensive timeline of the struggle for equality in the United States Military.

By Cliff Dunn

Club members at Island City Health & Fitness may recall a few days last month when their gym’s facilities (showers, bathrooms) were without water due to the theft of the backflow valve connection behind the club and its mutual backyard with the now-former location of the Poverello Food Bank. Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) officials, headed up by Oakland Park District lead detective Armando Hernandez, say that all told, twenty four (24) thefts of backflow valves occurred in the City of Oakland Park. The suspects, Gannon Wing and John Martin, charged with twenty three (23) of the crimes, are believed to have been active in Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties, fencing their loot at a scrap business in Collier County (Greater Naples/Fort Meyers).

Wing, 20, and Martin, 29, are charged with 197 and 163 counts each, respectively. Among their mutual counts are twenty seven (27) grand thefts, twenty three (23) for criminal mischief, twenty three (23) for possession of burglary tools, and twenty three (23) for tampering with utility services. In addition to BSO/Oakland Park, the World’s Muckiest Quinella has charges pending from ten other law enforcement agencies, including BSO/Tamarac, BSO/North Lauderdale, BSO/Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Wilton Manors Police Department, Sunrise Police Department, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), Boca Raton Police Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department, and Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
Investigators are developing leads concerning a Miami-Dade County-area scrap yard, where the suspects may have also been peddling their stolen parts. Anyone with information is asked to contact any of the aforementioned agencies.

Friends, Lovers, Fruit Flies  and Strange Bedfellows
(Or, New York Gay Marriage, Part 2)
Readers may recall from last week’s Open for Business that the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) is the organization that led the legal battle – conducted famously through the efforts of attorneys Ted Olson – a conservative stalwart, Bush-43 Justice Department mandarin and widower of a 9/11 victim – and David Boies, a Democratic power broker – which challenged California’s gay marriage ban (a trial court judge struck down the law last month, but the decision is being appealed).

As mentioned last week, an unusually large number of Wall Street whales and captains-of-industry-types have stepped up in recent years to show their support for (and willingness to donate heavily in the support of) same-sex marriage initiatives.

An event last fall in support of New York State same-sex marriage was held  at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Columbus Circle, and was chaired by three Republicans: Ken Mehlman, the openly gay former Republican National Committee chairman and current head of Global Public Affairs for private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company (KKR); Peter Thiel of hedge fund Clarium Capital; and billionaire Paul Singer, founder and CEO of hedge fund Elliott Management Corporation and the philanthropic Paul E. Singer Family Foundation, which supports numerous charitable works, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, the Food Bank of New York City, the New York City Police Foundation, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education Singer Prize for Excellence in Secondary Teaching.

(Singer, whose gay son married his partner in Massachusetts, gave close to half a million dollars of his own money, and raised another $500,000 to support legalization of gay marriage in the Empire State.)

The New York Times reported last year that financiers who either attended the fundraiser or made a donation to the campaign included KKR principal Henry Kravis, as well as associates Sir Deryck Maughan, Alex Navab, Scott Nuttall, John Pfeffer, Lewis Eisenberg, and David Sorkin.

“Other Wall Street executives,” The Times reported, “included Blackstone Group’s Garrett Moran; Daniel Loeb of hedge fund Third Point Capital; Jay Sammons of the private equity shop Carlyle Group; Seth Klarman of hedge fund Baupost; Nick Stone of TPG; Todd Malan, in-house lobbyist at Goldman Sachs; and media investor Leo Hindery of InterMedia Partners.”

During the AFER fundraiser, billionaire Singer related the story of paging through the wedding album of “my son and son-in-law,” after they were legally married. “At the moment they are pioneers,” he said, “although I felt like a loving father and father-in-law, not a pioneer, as we were looking at the pictures.”

Overheard

“I’d like to hear directly from the gays who love Santorum despite Santorum’s belief that gay people are no better than dog %#@!ers and child rapists, his promise to repeal the DADT repeal, his desire to write anti-gay bigotry into the U.S. Constitution, his opposition to gay adoption and his belief that consensual gay sex should be a felony. If Santorum’s gay friends love Santorum as much as Santorum loves his gay friends, I’m sure they would be only too glad to speak to the media about their love of Santorum.”

– Syndicated columnist Dan Savage, speaking about the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and 2012 Republican presidential candidate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Outgoing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said last week that the military’s ban on gays openly serving in the military could end as early as this month. He said that the top military officers of each branch of service have recommended ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and that he endorses the measure.

Once Gates approves the certification, it can be fully implemented by September.