President and Pentagon certifies DADT repeal

After hearing from senior military leaders that repeal posed no threat to the armed forces, President Obama certified the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” His signature of the certification sets in motion the open service of lesbian, gay and bisexual troops. The certification step was part of the legislation he signed in December and now after a 60 day period built into the law, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be a relic of the past.

HRC President Joe Solmonese released the following statement:  “For far too long, the ban on openly gay service members has harmed our security and tarnished our values. The President’s certification of repeal is a monumental step, not just for those forced to lie in order to serve, but for all Americans who believe in fairness and equality.

“There are many people who brought this historic day to fruition starting with the President’s tremendous leadership and the steadfast allies in Congress who refused to give in to the lies and fear mongering. Additionally we thank all of the brave men and women who have continued to wear the uniform under a policy that forced them to hide who they are. The end of that shameful time is thankfully near.”
(via the HRC)

Sec. of Defense & Joint Chiefs to certify repeal of DADT

Julian Barnes, Pentagon reporter for the Wall Street Journal, is reporting via Twitter that Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are expected to certify tomorrow that the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell “is consistent with the standards of military readiness and effectiveness, unit cohesion, and military recruiting and retention.”

The certification requirement was a key component of the compromise that allowed the repeal to finally move through Congress last December.

 The repeal will then go into effect 60 days after President Obama makes the same certification.

ArmyTimes: Pentagon suspends DADT

From ArmyTimes: The Pentagon has ordered a halt to all separations of gay troops under “don’t ask, don’t tell” and will begin accepting applications from prospective recruits who identify themselves as homosexuals.

The moratorium issued Friday came after a ruling Wednesday by a federal appeals court in California ordering the Defense Department to immediately stop enforcing the law. The court said the law is unconstitutional because it treats gay Americans differently under the law.

Meanwhile, defense officials will continue to prepare for the law’s formal repeal, which Congress approved in December. The law will be formally repealed 60 days after the defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs “certify” that it will not adversely impact military readiness.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he expected certification to occur in late July or early August.

It remains unclear whether the Pentagon will seek to appeal Wednesday’s court ruling, which would have to go to the Supreme Court, Pentagon spokesman Marine Col. David Lapan said Friday.

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.

Appellate Court Lifts Stay On DADT Injunction

In an order issued by a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips's judgment halting the worldwide enforcement of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as a result of her decision in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States has been put back in effect.

After ruling in September that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was unconstitutional, U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips put an injunction in place to halt the enforcement of the military’s gay ban.

The injunction lasted for eight days until the Ninth Circuit placed a stay on the order upon request from the Justice Department, making gays once again unable to serve openly in the military.

The decision today reverses this decision and once again allows for open service.

Read more at Washington Blade

Top enlisted Marine on the repeal of DADT

The Command Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sgt. Maj. Micheal Barrett, the top non-commissioned officer, addressing Marines regarding the repeal of DADT:

“Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution is pretty simple,” he told a group of Marines at a base in South Korea. “It says, ‘Raise an army.’ It says absolutely nothing about race, color, creed, sexual orientation.

“You all joined for a reason: to serve,” he continued. “To protect our nation, right?”

“Yes, sergeant major,” Marines replied.

“How dare we, then, exclude a group of people who want to do the same thing you do right now, something that is honorable and noble?” Sgt. Maj. Barrett continued, raising his voice just a notch. “Right?”

Sgt. Maj. Barrett then described conversations with U.K. troops, who saw a similar ban lifted a decade ago, with little disruption. And to drive the point home, he produced a pocket copy of the Constitution.

“Get over it,” he said. “We’re magnificent, we’re going to continue to be. … Let’s just move on, treat everybody with firmness, fairness, dignity, compassion and respect. Let’s be Marines.”

There. That was pretty simple now, wasn't it?

Thank you Sgt. Maj. Barrett.

New post by TIME Magazine's Officer X on DADT repeal

New, moving blogpost by Officer X on Time Magazine's website about closeted military getting through the DADT years and waiting for the repeal. Very moving.

I can speak from personal experience when I say the day to day aversions and posturing are exhausting and stressful. I also know it can be difficult to ask for help. It's vital to have some sort of an outlet to be yourself and a place you can feel safe. Here's an example from a page out of my own life story when I was particularly low, but was able to seek help. Thanks to the great friends I have surrounded myself with, I was able to bounce back and come out on top.

It was the year I was in pilot training. I met Tom through a mutual friend who is also gay. We hit it off rather quickly, but I stayed guarded as he was moving to his follow-on assignment shortly thereafter. Despite my best efforts to keep from getting attached, I fell hard for him.

When he left, the hardest part was going back to work and keeping a straight face. I can remember being in my squadron's cramped mission planning room, surrounded by my fellow student pilots who were getting ready to fly. I avoided eye contact with every one of them. Part of me desperately wanted nobody to talk to me, while the other half just wanted someone to figure me out and ask “what's wrong?”

For the first time I got to experience what I think every American teenager goes through in high school when they go on their first date and get to just hold hands. The truth is it was the first time in my life I felt normal. I couldn't help but think this whole being gay thing might work out. I might even wind up happy.

Read more here.

Airman discharged under DADT April 29th - first since repeal process began

An Air Force spokesman confirmed today that the secretary of the Air Force approved a discharge under the military's ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy on April 29 of this year. The discharge, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman, is the only such discharge since the Pentagon on Oct. 21, 2010, directed that DADT discharges would require the approval of the service branch secretary.

Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez wrote today to Metro Weekly, ''The only separation approved following the Oct. 21, 2010 policy change is an Air Force separation, approved Apr. 29, 2011.''

Air Force Major Joel Harper, an Air Force spokesman, clarified the specifics of the discharge to Metro Weekly, writing, ''On April 29th, 2011, the Secretary of the Air Force approved the discharge of an Airman under the provisions of 10 USC 654, after coordination with the DoD General Counsel [Jeh Johnson] and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness [Stanley].''

Harper continued, ''Each of these officials evaluated the case carefully, and concluded that separation was appropriate. The Airman in the case asked to be separated expeditiously.''

Servicemembers United executive director Alex Nicholson, who stated that he was unfamiliar with this case, wrote, ''[T]he Department of Defense has made it abundantly clear that it is now virtually impossible to discharge someone who does not want to be discharged.''

Read more at Metro Weekly.


Repeal will not occur under the DADT Repeal Act until the president, defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify to Congress that the changes needed to implement repeal are ''consistent with the standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the Armed Forces.'' At that point, a 60-day congressional review period must pass before 10 U.S.C. 654 – the DADT law – is taken off the books.

Officer X on DOMA/marriage equality in the armed forces

Officer X has a new post on TIME Magazine's website regarding DOMA and marriage rights in the armed forces.

Me getting married to another man does nothing to diminish the love of any heterosexual couple's marriage. The act is anything but hostile and I don't see why some feel they need “protection” from it happening. I understand and respect certain churches' reluctance to accept homosexuality based on their interpretation of the Bible. Based on that precedent I can understand the desire of individual churches to not recognize gay marriage.

In essence, DOMA hurts gay couples, especially those in the military. After I get married it will keep me from being able to live in base housing with my spouse. It will deny him the same medical benefits I would be able to pass off to a wife. It also does nothing to “protect” straight couples, or their faith's desire to exclude gays.

For those who haven't read his posts, Officer X is a gay pilot in the United States armed forces who is serving actively in the military. Time has invited him to share his experiences with readers as we watch the end of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy from the perspective of the boots on the ground.

Read his latest post in full here.

Soldier writes about serving during the repeal of DADT

TIME Magazine has posted an essay by a gay soldier currently serving in our military.

He wrote about what it's like to go through training regarding the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

I held my composure as I stood in the back of a small but crowded room with standing room only. The formal briefing was a slightly awkward attempt at a conversation between one of my superior officers and the 40 or so of us squeezed in that room. He was clearly not used to talking about the topic of homosexuality as he seemed uneasy, but his overall message was a good one: “Soon you will be working around openly gay people. This change is akin to the integration of blacks into the military and the key to a successful transition is professionalism and mutual respect.”

As with any other conversation about gays in a setting where I am not “out,” I found myself reverting to old defense mechanisms. I tried to laugh, but not too hard. I listened intently while trying to look as if I was barely paying attention. I looked to see how everyone else was reacting only to mimic their posture, their level of attentiveness, and their own reactions to the conversation.

A good friend of mine, also gay, was standing next to me throughout the briefing. We barely looked at each other the entire time. His posture was much like mine, only he didn't laugh. He didn't smile. There was a cold emptiness in him which I had rarely seen before. I guess that was his way of not drawing attention to himself.

For an institution that prides itself on integrity and honesty, it's a bit tough to read how self-aware some of our soldiers have had to learn to be to hide who they are just so they can serve the country they love.

Read the whole essay at TIME Magazine.

DADT likely to be certified for repeal in mid-summer

Pentagon officials told a House subcommittee Friday that training for implementation of repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has gone “extremely well so far” and that certification to Congress might come by mid-summer.

Vice Admiral William Gortney said it was the judgment of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, that repeal “won’t have an impact.” “And I happen to believe that as well,” said Gortney.

In response to a question from Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) both Undersecretary Stanley and Vice Admiral Gortney said they expect the Pentagon will be ready to submit in mid-summer its required written certification to Congress that the military is prepared to drop implementation of the federal law banning openly gay people from the service.

President Obama, too, must submit written certification to Congress, saying he is confident the military is ready to implement repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Then, 60 days after his certification, and that of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, is submitted, the law will be repealed in practice.

“We don’t want to rush… and we don’t want to take forever,” said Stanley, adding that, “if something we didn’t anticipate” comes up prior to then, the military would take the time necessary to address it.

Both Houses of Congress in December passed, and President Obama signed, a bill to repeal the 1996 law prohibiting openly gay people from serving in the military. The measure stipulated that, before actual repeal of the law takes place, the Defense Department would conduct training to prepare its forces for the change.

(from LGBTQnation)

Gay Navy Officer wins discharge hearing

Petty Officer Derek Morado today won his discharge hearing with the Navy after being told he faced ejection due to a MySpace photograph that was turned in anonymously. In the photo, Morado is seen kissing another man. Morado's lawyer told KMPH News that even though DADT has been repealed, that doesn't mean the military's investigations are over.

From Get Equal: This is good news for a few reasons -- it shows the power of grassroots efforts to apply pressure and the reality that, when we expose the truth and stand up for our dignity, we win. We don't know how many other servicemembers are facing discharge, but we will not rest until all Americans -- LGB and T -- are free to serve their country freely, openly, honestly, and without danger of discharge.

Today was a victory, and we're grateful to Derek for lending his story and his voice to highlight the fact that servicemembers are still facing the discharge process, even 100 days after the law was repealed. We're also grateful to our friends at AMERICAblog Gay, who partnered with us to send Derek into the courtroom with the names of thousands of supporters who were unwilling to let this happen without pushing back.

The Navy's panel voted 3-0 in favor of Morado's retention.

A tribute to Cpl. Andrew Wilfahrt, a gay servicemember

Very straight forward, touching tribute to a gay servicemember who died in the line of duty. I encourage everyone to watch this.

From The Courage Campaign

DADT: "Top Ten Things Soldiers Need to Know"

The Army has posted on the army website a list of "Top Ten Things Soldiers Need To Know" about the repeal of DADT:

1. Accessions & Separations Policies: Upon repeal, the Army will no longer separate Soldiers solely on the basis of homosexual acts, a statement that a Soldier is gay, lesbian or bisexual, or marriage to a person of the same sex. Statements about sexual orientation or lawful acts of gay and lesbian conduct will not be a bar to military service or admission to any accession program. Sexual orientation will continue to be a personal and private matter.

2. Standards of Conduct Apply Equally to Everyone: All Soldiers will be held to the same standard of conduct. All members are responsible for upholding and maintaining high standards of the U.S. Military at all times and in all places.

3. Personal Privacy: Commanders may not establish practices that physically segregate Soldiers according to sexual orientation. Commanders do have the discretion to alter billeting assignments to accommodate privacy concerns of individuals on a case-by-case basis where it is in the interest of maintaining morale, good order and discipline, and is consistent with performance of the mission.

4. Moral and Religious Concerns: There will be no changes regarding any Soldier's free exercise of religious beliefs, nor are there any changes to policies concerning the Chaplain Corps and its duties. The Chaplain Corps' First Amendment freedoms and its duty to care for all will not change. Soldiers will continue to respect and serve with others who may hold different views and beliefs.

5. Benefits: There will be no changes to eligibility standards for military benefits and services. The Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the Federal Government from recognizing any same-sex marriage, so same sex partners do not qualify as dependents for many military benefits and services. A same-sex partner should be treated the same as an unrelated third party (e.g. girlfriend, boyfriend). All Soldiers will continue to have various benefits for which they may designate any beneficiary regardless of relationship.

6. Equal Opportunity: Sexual orientation will not be placed alongside race, color, religion, sex and national origin as a class under the Military Equal Opportunity Program and therefore will not be dealt with through the MEO complaint process. All Soldiers, regardless of sexual orientation are entitled to an environment free from personal, social, or institutional barriers that prevent Soldiers from rising to the highest level of responsibility possible. Harassment or abuse of any kind, including that based on sexual orientation, is unacceptable and will be dealt with through command or inspector general channels.

7. Duty Assignments: There are no changes to assignment policy. All Soldiers will continue to be eligible for world-wide assignment without consideration of sexual orientation. Soldiers assigned to duty, or otherwise serving, in countries in which gay and lesbian conduct is prohibited will abide by the guidance provided to them by their local commanders.

8. Medical Policy: There are no changes to existing medical policies.

9. Release and Service Commitments: There will be no new policy to allow for release from service commitments for Soldiers opposed to repeal of DADT or to serving with gay or lesbian Soldiers.

10. Collection and Retention of Sexual Orientation Data: Sexual orientation is a personal and private matter. Commanders will not request, collect, or maintain information about the sexual orientation of Soldiers.

Note: in regard to spouses of same-sex couples,  same-sex partners will be treated the same as an unrelated third party (e.g. girlfriend, boyfriend) due to the continued enforcement of DOMA.  So same-sex spouses will not be eligible for any benefits or services currently enjoyed by opposite-sex spouses.

Training is scheduled to being in early March 2011.

DADT Repeal steps issued by the Pentagon

With efforts focused on education, policy, training and communication, the Pentagon released it's plan to implement the repeal of DADT. Military service secretaries have until March 1st to issue their first update on progress.

From the Washington Blade: The plan breaks down the path for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal into four stages: pre-repeal, certification, implementation and sustainment.

In the pre-repeal phase, activities include Tier 1 and Tier 2 level training of military leadership and reporting to Obama administration officials on the progress of implementation. For example, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness must have a monthly meeting and report to the defense secretary and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the status of repeal.

To reach the certification phase, the Repeal Implementation Team must provide appropriate documentation to the defense secretary and chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and provide their recommendation to the president.

The actual repeal won't occur until the President, Defense Secretary and chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff certify military readiness. There will then be a 60 day waiting period before the law is legally declared null and void.

Step by step, it's progress.

Progress on DADT Repeal

In a memo released Friday, the Pentagon outlined plans for the steps being taken to repeal DADT, and it seems to be moving in a fairly decent pace.

Reports say high level Pentagon officials are meeting every two weeks to gauge progress and potential problems. "The conditions on the ground would dictate how fast we go," Stanley said at the Pentagon briefing. "To even imply that we have a target to do it by this date would be a misnomer. In essence we are going to move responsibly, quickly but deliberately as we go through the process." Training will be extensive and the changes will take place at the same time in all branches of the military, according to Defense Sec. Gates.

However, full equality will be hampered by conflicting laws still on the books. Due to the Defense of Marriage Act, the military is forbidden to extend many of the same benefits other married couples have available to same sex couples, such as housing allowances, medical care, travel and other privileges.

This is just one more good reason to abolish DOMA as it creates inequality for many of our men and women in the armed forces. If you can put your life on the line for your country, you should have the same rights and privileges as all soldiers. If marriage, as many argue, is a "state's rights" issue, then the Federal government shouldn't have laws on the books like DOMA that have a Federal reach.

The Pentagon has said it's possible all military privileges could be extended to same sex couples in the future. We'll have to keep an eye out for news on that.

Message from the Marines Commandant to all Marines regarding DADT

OK, so I'll admit this gave me a lump in my throat. Just to hear the message of tolerance and respect from General James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Sgt. Maj. Carlton W. Kent, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is pretty inspiring.

This is a military we can all be proud of.