Found this online. Great to hear. We can keep "DADT" as long as they're not discharging the gays. Just let DADT there to wither on the vine, and in a few years, when it's not an issue anymore, then we can get rid of it. Just like getting rid of the sodomy laws like the Supreme Court did in 2003.
(Jan. 8) - Army Sgt. Darren Manzella figured that stating he was gay on national television would surely get him booted from the military under the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
But Manzella has heard nothing in the three weeks since he told CBS' 60 Minutes that his fellow soldiers knew he was gay and the program aired a home video that showed him kissing a former boyfriend.
But Manzella has heard nothing in the three weeks since he told CBS' 60 Minutes that his fellow soldiers knew he was gay and the program aired a home video that showed him kissing a former boyfriend.
"I thought I would at least be asked about the segment or approached and told I shouldn't speak to the media again," says Manzella, 30, a medic who recently returned from Kuwait and plans to hold a news conference today in Washington to discuss the military's silence.
He says he is among a growing number of servicemembers who have told other troops and even commanders they are gay and have not been discharged.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a gay advocacy group, says it knows of about 500 gay troops who are serving openly without consequences. "That's the highest number we've ever been aware of," says SLDN spokesman Steve Ralls. "Their experiences point to an undeniable shift in the armed forces."
Manzella says he was invited to join more than 600 members of an invitation-only MySpace group, Guys and Gals Like Us, for gays who don't hide their orientation from their units. The members use pseudonyms because some gay servicemembers have been discharged for acknowledging their sexual orientation elsewhere online.
Nearly 12,000 troops have been dismissed under the policy approved by President Clinton in 1993. Discharges peaked at 1,273 in 2001 and have fallen sharply since the war began.
"A lot of servicemembers are getting 'wink-wink' treatment from their commanders," says Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which studies the policy.
Elaine Donnelly, whose Center for Military Readiness favors a ban on gays, says "skepticism is in order" about reports that they are serving openly without sanctions. She says she has been "bothering" commanders at Manzella's base, Fort Hood, Texas, to take action since the 60 Minutes piece aired. "We have yet to get an answer," she says. "His commanders should be disciplined appropriately for failing to do their duty."
Manzella, who earned a Combat Medical Badge for service in Baghdad, says he's been open about his sexuality for 18 months. He says he told his commander he was gay because he was getting anonymous e-mails threatening to expose him. The Army investigated in August 2006 and viewed the video that showed his boyfriend.
He says he is among a growing number of servicemembers who have told other troops and even commanders they are gay and have not been discharged.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a gay advocacy group, says it knows of about 500 gay troops who are serving openly without consequences. "That's the highest number we've ever been aware of," says SLDN spokesman Steve Ralls. "Their experiences point to an undeniable shift in the armed forces."
Manzella says he was invited to join more than 600 members of an invitation-only MySpace group, Guys and Gals Like Us, for gays who don't hide their orientation from their units. The members use pseudonyms because some gay servicemembers have been discharged for acknowledging their sexual orientation elsewhere online.
Nearly 12,000 troops have been dismissed under the policy approved by President Clinton in 1993. Discharges peaked at 1,273 in 2001 and have fallen sharply since the war began.
"A lot of servicemembers are getting 'wink-wink' treatment from their commanders," says Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which studies the policy.
Elaine Donnelly, whose Center for Military Readiness favors a ban on gays, says "skepticism is in order" about reports that they are serving openly without sanctions. She says she has been "bothering" commanders at Manzella's base, Fort Hood, Texas, to take action since the 60 Minutes piece aired. "We have yet to get an answer," she says. "His commanders should be disciplined appropriately for failing to do their duty."
Manzella, who earned a Combat Medical Badge for service in Baghdad, says he's been open about his sexuality for 18 months. He says he told his commander he was gay because he was getting anonymous e-mails threatening to expose him. The Army investigated in August 2006 and viewed the video that showed his boyfriend.
If even the US military can progress this far, I feel a little better about things in the future. And isn't Darren a lil cutie?
POLT Listening to Romeny's concession speech in the NH primary
There's a huge trust. I see it all the time when people come up to me and say, "I don't want you to let me down again." - Bushie
3 comments:
they can't recruit new troops to fight in their war.
I don't think this acceptance will last, and I don't think this shows new enlightened thinking. Do you really think it does?
I think it just means they need people to fight overtime in this dirty war.
Heidi,
I dont think the military is any more enlightened. I think the reason you stated is absolutely correct. However, by allowing them to openly serve, they are started a precident. And even more importantly, they're serving openly next to straigh soldiers, who will get comfortable working with them, and that, in a lot of cases I think, will change thier attitudes.
And that's the best thing we can hope for, a change of attitudes among the rank and file.
HUGS...
While I believe this will probably change some attitudes of the straight soldiers that they serve along side I believe that this is an unspoken/unwritten policy of not discharging any gay soldiers at least until the Iraq/Afghanistan wars are over.
I feel that once they are over we will see the military discharging the out gay soldiers in droves.
Furry Godfather.
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