DADT is Gone! Let's Celebrate!

[MineralMan]

Finally, people may serve in the military regardless of their sexual orientation. It has been a long time coming. DADT was supposed to prevent Gay and Lesbian military personnel from being harassed, charged and discharged from the military. It proved, instead to make matters worse. Now it's gone. And good riddance.

Next, we can all continue to work toward full marriage equality. That's the next battle. Some places have already established same-sex marriage. Others have managed to go partway with some sort of civil union. The federal government, though, still does not recognize same-sex marriage. We should try very hard to elect legislators who will correct that injustice. We should also work to elect legislators in our states who will implement same-sex marriage as the exact same thing as any other marriage.

Today, though, is time for celebration for a battle won...and won at great cost and sacrifice for many.

I shout Hurrah!

[JuniperLea]

1. Gone for good, too! Put out of everyone's misery...

Finished! Over and OUT... pardon the pun:D

[MineralMan]

6. Yes, and done legislatively, where it began.

I don't foresee anyone trying to re-establish such a thing.

I know it stretched everyone's patience and tolerance, but what is enacted by the Congress should be repealed by the Congress, I think.

[TheWraith]

15. I'm sure a few of them will make halfhearted attempts.

Which won't even make it out of committee. :)

[MineralMan]

17. Yes, I believe the whole concept is done forever.

Shortly, everyone will see that it was a moronic policy in the first place and that nothing will change due to its end.

[JuniperLea]

27. I think so too...

It's the only way to make it final.

Oh, some will come and try to change it back... I can't see it getting any traction at all.

I'm not the most patient person in the world, that's for sure, and it was trying... but I saw the need for the path taken. I hope others come to realize this too.

[murielm99]

2. I second that!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

Why isn't the party bigger? Will it start this evening, when more people get home from work? Is it in the lounge?

[MineralMan]

10. We can party right here in this thread. No need to wait for others

to celebrate. That's why I posted it.

This place is going off!

[BeeBee]

3. Yay!!! n/t

[BlueIris]

4. Huzzah!

Bye bye, ugly bigoted rule.

[The Doctor.]

36. Yes we can...

say 'huzzah'!

[HappyMe]

5. Woohoo! Yay!

A big step in the right direction.


:party:
:woohoo:

[WillyT]

7. Yes !!! - K & R !!!

:toast::bounce::toast:

:party::woohoo::party:

:hi:

:kick: & Rec !!!

[Kolesar]

8. Any kind of love is alright! eom

[ellenrr]

9. Did the battle against DADT legitimize US militarism?

This woman says it better than I can so I am going to quote her from 2010 Democracy Now.
I think what she says is very profound. What do you think?

MATTILDA BERNSTEIN SYCAMORE: Dan Choi talks about all of America being a victim of the policy of excluding openly gay soldiers in the military, but all of the world is a victim of the U.S. military. So if we have to look at one culprit for all of the problems that are going on in the entire world, that would have to be the U.S. military. And as a queer movement, what we need is a movement for gender, sexual, social, political and cultural self-determination for queers in this country, for everyone in this country, and for everyone all over the world. We do not need to support the U.S. war machine, which is busy plundering indigenous resources and fighting at least three wars right now, you know, for corporate profiteers.

We need to be fighting for universal access to basic needs, things like housing and healthcare and the right to stay in this country or leave if you want to. We need to be fighting for comprehensive sex education, for AIDS healthcare, for senior care, for safe houses for queer youth to escape abusive families. And the problem with all this attention on the war machine, all this support for, you know, soldiers to serve openly in unjust wars, the problem is that the military is what’s taking away the ability to fund everything in this country that would actually benefit, you know, the people who need the most.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/9/20/dont_ask_dont_tell_ban_on_gay_and

[MineralMan]

13. That is not the issue here. Truly it is not.

Like all major nations, we have a military. Enabling all Americans to serve in it if they wish is a positive thing.

Your question is one for the politicians, not for those who serve.

Start another thread to discuss militarism. This is not that thread. This is a thread celebrating equality.

[ellenrr]

18. Unfortunately you miss the point

As this lesbian I quote points out, the two ideas are inter-related. It is a complex world. Your thinking is simplistic. Try to stretch yr mind a little beyond its confines.
It's good for you! :)

It is not either or. Yes, no one should be kept from doing something or from not doing something because of their sexual orientation.

Obviously.

You really need to be able to keep two ideas in your mind to get the point.

...sigh...why do I even try?

[MineralMan]

20. I miss nothing. Truly, I do not.

Here, have some refreshments and try to enjoy the celebration...

[Warren DeMontague]

51. let's see if I can clarify the point, shall I?

There was a punchbowl here that was disturbingly turd-free, and you felt the civic responsibility to rectify that situation.

[DevonRex]

11. I'm celebrating! I'm so very grateful to all the glbts who serve our nation

They have always been there for us, even when they had to live in secret. Their sacrifice cannot be overstated.

[AtomicKitten]

12. Happy DADT Repeal Day.

[MineralMan]

14. Thanks, President Obama! And Thanks to All

who helped make this happen, whether they are individual citizens, legislators, or others. Just thank you all very much!

[gateley]

33. Deserves a thread of its own, I think. Clinton dropped the ball,

and this is a BIG victory for the GLBT folks, especially now with all the anti-gay poison being spewed by the RW.

Thank you, Mr. President! :patriot: You did the RIGHT thing!

[MineralMan]

42. It sure didn't work out, did it?

I doubt that Clinton knew how this would end up working, really. It turned out to be a very big mistake, and it should have been done by simply allowing everyone to serve. I'm glad that has now happened, but sure do wish it had happened long ago.

[gateley]

44. I do, too. I remember, after Clinton's promises and his capitulation

to DADT, I felt like he was telling these honorable men and woman to keep their dirty, shameful secret to themselves. No support at all. Heartbreaking.

Well, now it HAS happened -- finally! -- and it IS cause for celebration!

[DURHAM D]

47. I don't think you know the first thing about how DADT came to be and

then was used and abused by Colin Powell and the DOD.

[gateley]

48. Well then, instead of just insulting me, why don't you go

ahead and educate me? I'm always willing to learn.

[DURHAM D]

49. Your post is flamebait. The OP is not.

Some of us have been around fighting for our rights for a very, very long time and the celebrating history changing straight people on DU are a major irritant to us. The praise Obama by trashing Clinton crowd just gets old. I assume you are not aware of what went on before 1993 - that is just too far back. I assume you are also not aware there is no affirming language in the repeal - that is just toooo far into the future.

Maybe you can catch The Strange History of DADT on HBO for some of the facts.

[gateley]

53. My post was NOT intended to be flamebait, and I resent you

categorizing it as such.

Nothing more to say, my dear. See ya.

[yardwork]

55. My recollection is that Clinton tried very hard and got zero support from Congress or the Pentagon.

Sadly, I just don't think that our nation was ready in 1993.

[HappyMe]

16. kickin this party back up!

:applause:

[MineralMan]

19. Thanks! Here, have a refreshing beverage and one of these snacks!

I made them myself.

[HappyMe]

21. Why, thank you!

Don't mind if I do....



:beer:


:toast:

[DevonRex]

22. Kicking in honor of former and current glbt members of the armed forces! Nt

[Harmony Blue]

Agreed. Thank you for your service and this is a glorious day today!

:toast:

[Harmony Blue]

29. Agreed. Thank you for your service and this is a glorious day today!

:toast:

[yardwork]

23. Thank you for this thread. What's happening today is that service members are coming out.

It's happening as we speak,like a whisper sweeping across the nation. Watch people coming out in real time. The blogger JoeMyGod is posting clips of service members coming out across the nation. See the clips here:

http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/

Sadly, the post at the top of Joe's blog as I post this is about a 14 year old boy who killed himself after years of bullying for being perceived as gay. We still have a long way to go.

[MineralMan]

25. Yes, we do still have a long way to go. Prejudice and hatred

are very difficult to eliminate, especially when many religions leaders fight to maintain both. That youngsters are being bullied and harassed because of this is a horrible comment on our society. The rest of us just have to keep speaking out and stepping in when we see it. This should be the goal of everyone, especially religious leaders who believe in the value of every person, not just those who follow their religion.

Sadly, too many are silent in their disapproval of bigotry. Perhaps one of the best things we can do is to try to convince those people to abandon their silence and speak out.

[yardwork]

54. As a mother, it's heartbreaking that a child would kill themselves for any reason.

The health of our culture can be measured by how well we care for our young. Yes, speaking out against bigotry is one solution. Thank you for your strong voice. I've been noticing your posts and OPs for some time now.

[w8liftinglady]

24. hurrah, indeed. As the proud out member of a military family...

i will celebrate in honor of my dad, my uncle, my partner and my son-all of who rejected DADT vehemently.

Let the party begin!!

[nolabear]

26. Whew! I KNEW there had to be a party here somewhere.

Yes, there's a long road ahead, but this is such a good thing. And the fact that the party can course correct instead of getting intractably entrenched in policy (though, damn did it take a long time) is a sign of health.

So, HOORAY!!

[JuniperLea]

28. It was excruciating, no doubt!

But the finality of the whole thing is worth it, I think.

It's like putting out your campfire... sure, toss some dirt on it, but it smolders... douse it with water and stir it up and douse it again... fizzle... out!

Oh, some will no doubt come and try to get some embers glowing again... but embers are easy to piss on;)

[MineralMan]

31. "...embers are easy to piss on"

Especially if you're a guy. :hide: :rofl:

[JuniperLea]

58. Oh dear...

Is my envy showing?

:rofl:

[MineralMan]

32. Darned posting glitch!

Let's hear it for DU3! Coming soon to a DU near you...

[Pisces]

30. Whoo Hooo!!! One step closer to full equality.

[onestepforward]

34. Cheers for equality!

I'm so glad this day has arrived!

:toast:

[The Doctor.]

35. Can't we also say 'Huzzah'?

I look forward to the horror of those who must slowly face the fact that gay people are also normal people.

[MineralMan]

37. Hurrah! Huzzah!. You can say it however you want.

This is a celebration. All celebratory expressions are appropriate.

I imagine there are a few who are crying in their beer right now, though. Those would be the ones who think bigotry is a better tool than esprit de corps.

[lunatica]

38. Let's put on our dancing shoes!

[MineralMan]

43. Ah, dancing...if only I could dance.

I'm afraid that was never one of my things. I seem unable to learn the art of moving gracefully. Think Elaine. :rofl:



So, I'll just watch and enjoy. Nice animations!

[Whisp]

39. It is a good day.

:toast:

[sfpcjock]

40. Yay! Humanize our military just like the rest of the world did years ago!

No more gay translators sacked like just before 9/11 causing critical cables to be translated too late.

The HBO special on The Strange History of DADT is great, btw, if you can catch it.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[NNN0LHI]

41. Recommended

[Safetykitten]

45. He did real good. This end was on his watch, and he did it. Thanks Prez Obama!

[xocet]

46. K & R n/t

[msanthrope]

50. Congress cleaned up its own mess, as it should.

DOMA's next.

[louslobbs]

52. Thanks for the post MineralMan, we are celebrating here in Palm Springs, that the "witch hunts" are

over. All the best.
Lou

[Withywindle]

56. Kick for the party!

:party: :party: :bounce: :bounce: :toast: :grouphug: :fistbump: :headbang: :woohoo:


:patriot:



We need good news. We need it BAD. Let's enjoy this major victory to the fullest and charge our batteries for the next one.

[fortyfeetunder]

57. A toast to the end of DADT

:toast:
I've been wanting to do this all day, no way would I log in from work....