Jim Moran (D-VA) Stands Up for Equality

[babylonsister]

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/03/jim_moran_stands_up_for_equality.php

Jim Moran Stands Up for Equality



Via Robert Farley, the DADT madness continues despite the new president, and thankfully Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) is trying to do something about it:

The Army fired 11 soldiers in January for violating the military’s policy that gay service members must keep their sexuality hidden, according to a Virginia congressman. Democratic Rep. Jim Moran said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed.

In a statement released on Thursday, Moran said the discharged soldiers included an intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motor-transport operator and a water-treatment specialist.

“How many more good soldiers are we willing to lose due to a bad policy that makes us less safe and secure?” asked Moran, a member of the House panel that oversees military spending.

As Farley says, this is a smart approach from Moran—illustrating, in detail, the practical costs the military is incurring through this discriminatory policy. Meanwhile, the Obama administration is slow-walking repeal of the policy in order to try to demonstrate that it’s listening respectfully to military concerns and turning its attention first to strategic issues in Iraq and Central Asia before focusing on DADT. At the same time, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) has introduced a worthy bill to allow for equality in military service. At this point, top commanders ought to be able to see the handwriting on the wall and basically cut this nonsense out. Everyone knows that equal opportunities to serve is coming around the corner, and it doesn’t help anyone to drum out the last few dozen gay and lesbian military volunteers just before the buzzer.