Pentagon: No Gays Were Discharged in Past Month

[GodlessBiker]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Pentagon spokeswoman says no service members have been discharged for being openly gay in the month since the Defense Department adopted new rules surrounding the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith released the information Monday.

The 1993 law allows gays to serve in the military as long as they keep their sexual orientations secret.

Under new rules adopted Oct. 21, Defense Secretary Robert Gates put authority for signing off on dismissals in the hands of the four service secretaries.

Before then, any commanding officer at a rank equivalent to a one-star general could discharge gay enlisted personnel.

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http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/11/22/us/AP-US-Gays-in-Military-Discharges.html?_r=1&hp

[xchrom]

1. IF I can believe this - then there is some

Proof that the military can live without DADT.

[GodlessBiker]

2. +1

[JI7]

4. of course they can, the US soldiers already serve along with many nations

who have gays serving openly.

[msanthrope]

3. I think the government isn't appealing Witt then. That would be a good thing. n/t

[David Zephyr]

5. If the discharges had stopped even a year ago, it would be impossible to reboot it.

This has always been Obama's option. Republicans and Democrats in the White House have winked at homosexuals serving in times of war for eons.

If the "enforcement" of the policy had stopped 12-18 months ago, there would be no way to put the genie back in the bottle.

If Congress doesn't give Obama a bill to sign ending DADT, Obama must keep his promise with an executive decision to stop the enforcement of DADT for the duration of his presidency.

[BlueIris]

6. Agreed.

But he won't.

I guess one can only hope, but I have zero hope for such a decision from him. Zero.

[ruggerson]

9. Exactly David

n/t

[David Zephyr]

10. It's really that simple. He can if he wants to.

If this fails in the Senate, Obama can still stop the discharging for the duration of his presidency and let it wither on the vine and die a natural death. It could never be restarted.

He has it in his hands to keep the promise he made to end DADT with or without the Congress or the Courts.

If he really wants to, he can. :)

[vaberella]

13. I believe you're wrong.

It's not that simple. There were several articles discussing that. He was never able to just stop it at the stroke of a pen. Not to mention he didn't want it to end for his term. If he loses the election for next term and we get a Repub. You can rest assured DADT would be brought back as quickly as possible and then where would we all be? Back at square 1. He wanted to end it once and for all. Destroy the law all together. And it's a political game unfortunately to do that because of the amount of obstruction he faces from the Senate and House from both parties.

[ruggerson]

14. vaberella, he HAS stopped it

read the article. They've finally done what many of us were demanding they do a year and a half ago. They've rendered the law moot by finding a perfectly legal way to stop enforcing it.

No one wanted it to stop there. We wanted him to stop discharging soldiers AND keep working for legislative repeal at the same time. We were told, repeatedly, that he HAD to enforce the existing law, his hands were tied, he was bound by the constitution, etc.

This, once and for all, proves that we were cororect. The discharges could have stopped on day one of the Obama presidency.

[vaberella]

15. The poster I was speaking too was talking about Executive order.

Which this is not. Hence my statement.

[vaberella]

12. Did he make a promise to stop with executive decision?

I find that slightly unlikely because he stated quite clearly that the law doesn't allow him to stop DADT with a stroke of a pen. There were laws passed before he came into office which changed the way executive decisions worked since the 90s. Most people on DU were a little shocked when they found out that there were restrictions to his executive power in regards to laws that are part or of our Constitution.

[jenmito]

7. K&R. Looks like the "military brass" and the WH are going around the Repubs. in Congress

until DADT officially gets repealed. :thumbsup:

[ruggerson]

8. Well, this pretty much proves our point

There were many things the administration could have done from Day One to end or ameliorate this travesty.

I'm glad they're doing them now and that this shameful discrimination looks like it's about to die a much deserved death.

[XemaSab]

11. Whenever I go into a business and I see "_____ days without an accident"

I get nervous.

What kind of business needs to post that?

Similarly, what kind of government agency needs to post "______ days without a homophobic incident?" :shrug:

The Pentagon, apparently.