Lesbian sgt. discharged after police tell military

[Kadie]

Lesbian sgt. discharged after police tell military

By TIMBERLY ROSS, Associated Press Writer Timberly Ross, Associated Press Writer – 16 mins ago

Jene Newsome played by the rules as an Air Force sergeant: She never told anyone in the military she was a lesbian. The 28-year-old's honorable discharge under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy came only after police officers in Rapid City, S.D., saw an Iowa marriage certificate in her home and told the nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base.

Newsome and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the western South Dakota police department, claiming the officers violated her privacy when they informed the military about her sexual orientation. The case also highlights concerns over the ability of third parties to "out" service members, especially as the Pentagon has started reviewing the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law.

"I played by 'don't ask, don't tell,'" Newsome told The Associated Press by telephone.

"I just don't agree with what the Rapid City police department did. ... They violated a lot of internal policies on their end, and I feel like my privacy was violated."

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100313/ap_on_re_us/us_lesbian_sergeant_discharged

[Mari333]

1. knr

[maxsolomon]

2. Ratted out by the cops

"protect and serve"?

[Bolo Boffin]

3. How many have been discharged for asking?

How many have been discharged for pursuing?

This policy is awful and needs to go.

[Starry Messenger]

4. Uh wow.

Those cops need to be fired pronto. That's incredibly malicious. :grr:

[Lex]

5. I believe one day "Don't Ask Don't Tell" will be thought of as the sickest federal policy

EVER.

[Kadie]

13. One day.

Hopefully sooner than later.

[TexasObserver]

6. Abhorrent that these things still occur.

If we only had a Democratic president and congress we could do something about it, eh?

[Fumesucker]

7. She didn't kiss the cop's asses and they retaliated..

That's a surprise..

[Demoiselle]

8. They reinstated Daniel Choi. The government didn't appeal the court's decision.

I was under the impression that there was a moratorium of sorts on DADT now. There certainly should be...how can they argue that Newsome should be dismissed when Choi wasn't?
(Well, they shouldn't be able to dismiss either of them, of course.)And what the hell were the police poking around her private belongings for? What is WRONG with this country!!!!!

[Bluebear]

9. dupe

[Bluebear]

10. There is absolutely no moratorium unfortunately

[Demoiselle]

11. I guess you're right. Sickening.

[quakerboy]

12. I hope that there is major payout from that police dept

Did they also report to the AFB what high school she had attended, as per her potentially displayed diploma, or what brand of undies she prefers, as per her laundry basket?

Since when is it anyone's responsibility to get off work(military or not) to come help the police look for their housemate(mate or not)?

I really hope this spawns a civil suite against the PD, and that it costs them a big enough chunk of change to make them and other officials and Pd's think twice about invading privacy to get a little petty revenge.

And that's without even getting into DADT.

[rcrush]

14. I don't mind anything that takes money from cops

Seriously. I hope she takes them to the cleaners.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. Meh .... she's gay. She really doesn't actually have any *real* rights ... like normal people.

Sarcasm and disgust IN THE EXTREME.