Obama's False 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Narrative
Is the president really the gay rights hero he says he is?
Last month, Obama told this magazine that his slow, methodical plan to end “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) had worked. The proof, he said, was that “not only did we get the law passed, but it's caused almost no controversy.” The president defended his decision not to stop the firings by executive order with the argument that he needed time to build Pentagon buy-in. READ MORE >>
Don't Believe the Polling on Gay Marriage!
Pencils Down
Battle Plans
As Barack Obama tries to avoid the mistakes Bill Clinton made on gays in the military, the new president's hesitation is already causing damage: Last week came news that yet another Arabic language specialist is about to be dismissed for homosexuality, the first under the new White House. What's more, advocates of repeal are now facing political blow-back: Recently, over 1,000 retired officers released a letter claiming that ending the ban could "break" the armed forces. READ MORE >>
Open for Service
Last month, retired Air Force General Merrill McPeak, one of Barack Obama’s highest-ranking military supporters during the campaign, reiterated his opposition to openly gay service. When McPeak participated in the debates over lifting the ban in 1993, he was Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Like most military members who shared his position then, McPeak couched his sentiments in terms of military effectiveness, saying that homosexuality was “incompatible with military service” and would “work against unit cohesion.” READ MORE >>
