Gates to announce changes to ban on gays in military

[babylonsister]

Gates to announce changes to ban on gays in military
By Roxana Tiron - 03/23/10 04:56 PM ET


Defense Secretary Robert Gates is close to announcing changes in the way the Department of Defense enforces the law that bans openly gay people from serving in the military.

“I think he is prepared to offer a way ahead on that subject this week,” Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Tuesday.

Gates will address “the changes that he is going to be making to the department's policy to provide for a more humane enforcement and application of the law,” Morrell said.

Gates directed the Pentagon’s legal counsel in February to explore ways to relax enforcement of the law commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

more...

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/88661-gates-to-announce-changes-to-ban-on-gays-in-military

[Raine1967]

1. This was a takeaway:

Gates said in February he believed there is “at least a more humane way to comply with the law until the law gets changed.

The law WILL be changed.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. "...a more humane enforcement and application of the law,”

Where's that damn facepalm picture.

Jesus Christ on a cracker, that's the best they cam do??

[babylonsister]

3. A bit more info here:

Pentagon To Soften Military Gay Ban Enforcement
By Carlos Santoscoy
Published: March 23, 2010

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to outline changes in how the military enforces “don't ask, don't tell” this week. The 1993 policy forbids gay troops from serving openly.

During a press briefing Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said Gates is likely to announce a “way ahead” on “don't ask” later this week.

Gates first floated the idea of softening the military's implementation of the ban last June, a day after President Obama reaffirmed his pledge to repeal the law

Speaking aboard a military plane on its way to Germany, Gates told reporters that the Pentagon was looking into ways to make its ban “more humane.”

“One of the things we're looking at is, is there flexibility in how we apply this law,” he said, according to a transcript released by the Department of Defense.

“What we have is a law – be it a policy or regulation – and as I discovered when I got into it, it's a very prescriptive law. It doesn't leave much to the imagination for a lot of flexibility.”

Gates questioned the need to take action against service members when they've been outed out of vengeance or after being jilted.

“If someone is outed by a third party … does that force us to take an action?” he asked.

“That's the kind of thing we're looking at to see if there's a more humane way to apply the law until the law gets changed,” Gates added.

more...

http://ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5470&MediaType=1&Category=26

[lunatica]

4. With such ambiguous language I fear another chain jerk, not removal of DADT

My stomach is already beginning to hurt in anticipation.

[Vicar In A Tutu]

6. Well...

"“That's the kind of thing we're looking at to see if there's a more humane way to apply the law until the law gets changed,” Gates added."

"Until".

It's only a matter of time, and I'd wager not an awful lot of it in the grand scheme of things.

[Cha]

5. KickR Thank you,

babylonsister!~

[Hissyspit]

7. Oh, Christ. Get rid of the stupid shit already.

I work with military members all the time. They'll be FINE with it, whether they like it or not.

DADT is stupid and hateful and ridiculous and needs to go NOW.