Following Don't Ask, Don't Tell

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or DADT, a policy put into effect in the Clinton administration, has made the many LGBT men and women fighting in our military both invisible and expendable. Since the inauguration of President in Obama alone, the military has lost 265 gay men and women to this policy, and the policy remains unchanged. Between 1994 and 2006, more than 11,000 people had been discharged from the military under this policy.

Recently, Lt. Dan Choi has recently become the face of the war against DADT, being both an outspoken person of color and LGBT representative.

The California Progress Report writes:

Lt. Dan Choi on Tuesday faces a hearing to determine whether he will be kicked out of the military due to his violation of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy." This despite the fact that he has willingly and proudly served his nation with honor. This despite the fact that he has the rare skill of speaking fluent Arabic. On Friday night, he was in Davis to campaign for his friend and classmate from West Point, Anthony Woods who is running for Congress in the 10th Congressional District.

According to Lt. Choi, for him this is an issue of honor and integrity. Lt. Dan Choi said, “I graduated from West Point, we learned that a cadet would not. It had nothing to do with your orientation, it does not say that a straight cadet would not lie, but a gay cadet must lie. So that kind of dissonance we don't deal with. There's a zero tolerance policy, there's not compromise on that. So those things don't change. A West Point cadet and graduate has a certain level of character, certain level of man and woman. We don't put up with it, we don't say it's okay for our government to discriminate. That was the little piece of sand that was creating the friction that created the pearl that we see today.”

Read all about Lt. Dan Choi and DADT after the jump

A Gay Exorcism in 2009

Last week a story got picked up from a church in Bridgeport, CT with a primarily black congregation. The non-denominational Christian Manifested Glory Church recorded a video of them, as they claim, ridding a young (16 year-old) black man of a homosexual demon that had supposedly possessed him. When outreach and interview were requested, the church leaders had no comment, making the video that they posted to be the only gimpse into the workings of their church.

The Examiner writes:

A video has emerged illustrating the exorcism of a reportedly 16 year-old homosexual teenager by a Connecticut church—Manifested Glory Ministries—which had posted the activity on their website. Not surprisingly, the footage of the young, black man, flailing about on the floor, sometimes violently and to the point of physical illness as Pastor Patricia McKinney ordered the “homosexual demon” out of his body, has garnered some attention.

Watch the video and read the full article after the jump

Isaiah Washington joins the NO H8 Campaign

Isaiah Washington, who made news years ago for the controversy surrounding using a homophobic slur against co-actor T.R. Knight of the show Grey's anatomy, just joined the No H8 Campaign. The No H8 Campaign is a photo-driven advertising project headed up by Adam Bouska that aims to send a backlash to this past year's passage of Proposition 8, held up by the courts of California.

Towleroad writes:

Isaiah Washington is the latest star to take part in photographer Adam Bouska's "No H8" campaign.

He gave a rambling interview to Entertainment Tonight:

"What has been purported about me has nothing to do with who I am. I have been dealing with organizations like ACT UP for over 25 years. Right before Keith Haring passed away I was working with him. City kids of New York. Fighting for awareness of HIV/AIDS for 25 years of my life..."

Watch the video after the jump

Support for Marriage Equality over Racial and Ethnic Lines

A new poll out by the L.A. times has tried to compile all the stats showing the divisions in support for marriage equality across the lines of race and ethnicity. The summary of the poll shows how hard it can be for individuals in more than one minority position.

In the state's continuing political battles over gay marriage, both sides are targeting Latino voters, and a new Los Angeles Times poll illustrates why.

Overall, the poll showed a majority of voters in Los Angeles support the right of same-sex couples to legally marry, with 56% in favor and 37% opposed. That finding closely tracked results of November's election, when Proposition 8, which limited marriage to a man and a woman, won statewide but lost in Los Angeles.

Read the rest of the story after the jump

Human Rights Campaign Statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Denial of Certiorari in Pietrangelo v. Gates Case

Please find the official HRC response to the rejection of DADT by the Supreme Court:

WASHINGTON –The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization issued a statement today on the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial of a writ of certiorari in the case of Pietrangelo v. Gates, a challenge to the U.S. Military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. Captain Pietrangelo was discharged in 2004 under the U.S. Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. The Supreme Court’s decision ends the appeals process for Captain Pietrangelo. This decision comes weeks before the Board of Inquiry hearing is scheduled to review the case of First Lieutenant Daniel Choi of the New York Army National guard who is being discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

“The time to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is now. The Supreme Court’s denial of a writ of certiorari in this case, and the upcoming hearing to discharge Lt. Dan Choi, is only further proof that this law is not working and is putting our national security at unnecessary risk,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Every day, patriotic lesbian, gay and bisexual service members continue to be discharged under this discriminatory policy. Every moment that the Administration and Congress delay repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” our nation is robbed of brave men and women who would risk their lives to keep our country safe.”

Pietrangelo v. Gates, originally Cook v. Gates, was brought by twelve former members of the U.S. Military who were discharged under DADT. At the time the case was called Cook v. Gates. The district court dismissed the suit for a failure to state a claim and the plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Last year, the appeals court affirmed the district court’s ruling. Captain Pietrangelo on his own subsequently appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court by filing a petition for a writ of certiorari.

First Lieutenant Daniel Choi of the New York Army National Guard is one of those service members affected by DADT. Later this summer, Lt. Choi will go before a Board of Inquiry to fight the U.S. Military’s efforts to discharge him under DADT. Lt. Choi, is an Arabic linguist who graduated from West Point. His case has received significant national media attention, underscoring the need for repeal of DADT.

The rejection is especially problematic given Pres. Obama assurances that he would repeal DADT during his term in office. In this particular case we see why it is important for us to continue to educate the general public about our issues, and pressure our representatives to keep their promises.

For more information on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or other LGBT military issues go here...