Gays and The Military: A Bad Fit

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HISTLEBLOWER MAGAZINE
DROPPING THE 'H'-BOMB
As Obama forces homosexuality on the military, America's warriors fight back

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Posted: January 31, 2011
2:01 pm Eastern

© 2011 WorldNetDaily

Medal of Honor recipients, heroic POWs, generals and admirals say it will destroy the U.S. military. Veterans say they're disgusted and fear for the nation's future. And demoralized active-duty soldiers are threatening not to re-enlist, or to retire early.

As February's Whistleblower magazine dramatically documents, the men and women of America's armed forces claim the U.S. Senate, despite being utterly repudiated by voters, dropped a bomb on them during the waning, pre-Christmas days of the lame-duck congressional session.


"DROPPING THE 'H'-BOMB" is about what will happen once open homosexuality – officially prohibited in the U.S. military continuously since George Washington's time – is permitted throughout the armed forces as soon as the Senate's repeal of the Clinton-era "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is implemented in the coming weeks and months.

Critics say the policy reversal, rammed through Congress to satisfy a 2008 pre-election promise Barack Obama made to his LGBT constituency, recklessly dismantles the time-tested rules, culture and discipline that have guided America's military since the nation's founding.

However, says Whistleblower Editor David Kupelian, it's not too late. "We've released this Whistleblower issue right now precisely because the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal can still be reversed. Before open homosexuals can be invited into the armed forces, the law says top military leaders have to certify that the new policy won't affect troop readiness, cohesion or military recruitment and retention. Because of that provision, the new GOP-led House could – if it really wanted to – stop implementation in its tracks."

As Whistleblower points out, Rep. Buck McKeon, R.-Calif., the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has opposed repeal and told reporters he wanted to hold hearings that would include rank-and-file service members along with military leaders. "I would really like to hear from battlefield commanders," McKeon said. "I would like to hear from battalion commanders, I would like to hear from company commanders on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq to see what their feelings are."

Case in point: Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos – in public testimony the Senate completely ignored – stated unequivocally that repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would cost lives and disrupt the Corps from carrying out its current missions.

There are several ways Congress could stop the controversial repeal's implementation. The question is: Does the new Republican majority in the House have the will?

Highlights of "DROPPING THE 'H'-BOMB" include:

• "The headlines are wrong" by Cliff Kincaid, who explains why "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has not been repealed – yet – and how the new Congress can reverse the lame-duck Senate's controversial, last-minute action
• "Voices from the front lines," in which several dozen active-duty and retired members of the U.S. military explain to Whistleblower exactly why they and their fellow soldiers are so opposed to allowing open homosexuals within their ranks
• "The high level of homosexual assault in the military" by Peter Sprigg, whose comprehensive data analysis confirms traditionalists' worst fears: Even before repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," homosexuals have proven to be three times more likely than heterosexuals to sexually prey on their fellow service members
• "'Gay' groups want quick implementation before reality strikes" by Brian Fitzpatrick, who reports that homosexual activists, fearful that a closer analysis of the Senate's hasty action may lead to second thoughts, are pushing to have the policy quickly rolled out
• "Saving soldiers from gay death" by Cliff Kincaid, whose chilling report documents why allowing open homosexuals into the military will almost certainly lead to AIDS-tainted blood
• "FDA urged to let homosexuals donate blood" by Chelsea Schilling, who explains why current public-health policy wisely excludes "men who have sex with men"
• "Total media confusion on 'gays in the military'" by Art Moore, spotlighting the almost universal misreporting about the Clinton-era policy on homosexuality
• "Attack on America's military" by David Kupelian, who says the 112th Congress "can and must deactivate the bomb dropped by the 111th"
• "Officer refuses to indoctrinate soldiers" by Brian Fitzpatrick: In a harbinger of things to come, one Army lieutenant colonel asks to be relieved of his command to avoid being required to impose homosexual sensitivity training on his subordinates. "I love my job," he says, "but I can't do this job once they begin to implement this policy."
• "George Washington on sodomy in the military" by Joseph Farah – an eye-opening look at how homosexual behavior was dealt with by America's most famous general
• "Military heroes warn America" by Bob Unruh, in which top generals tell Whistleblower the U.S. will "suffer the consequences" for abandoning time-tested morality and discipline
• "Unleashing contagion on our armed forces" by Maj. Gen. Pat Brady, in which the Medal of Honor recipient spells out the devastating impact of what he calls a "quad-sexual" military
• "Just because we lost doesn’t mean we lost" by Judson Phillips, in which the tea party organizer describes strategies the new Congress can employ to undo the mischief of the last one
• "The big mistake" by Star Parker, whose exploration of the military's "gay" dilemma pinpoints "the ultimate danger to national security."

"It's now or never," says Kupelian. "Voters, including millions of military members and their families, just gave the newly elected Republican Congress members a ringing mandate to reverse the disastrous policies Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress forced on us. Now is the time when it's still possible to reverse a terrible mistake – literally an assault on our own military. Will congressional Republicans live up to their promises, or will they betray us? It is that simple."

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Evangelical chaplains may face ultimatum

Chad Groening - OneNewsNow - 2/2/2011 3:50:00 AM

Gordon James Klingenschmitt is a former Navy chaplain who was forced out of the service in 2007 for praying in Jesus' name. He says the Obama Pentagon wants to purge evangelical, Bible-preaching chaplains from the service by giving them an ultimatum -- "reconcile" with homosexual sin, or quit.

Pentagon leaders preparing to impose open homosexuality on the military are serving notice that discrimination against the deviant lifestyle will not be tolerated. In a recently released memorandum, Defense Secretary Robert Gates directed his policy staff to move ahead carefully, but expeditiously, to end the ban on military service for open homosexuals.

Officials said they will complete implementation plans for the new policy by Friday, February 4, and will commence indoctrination training this month.Klingenschmitt, the former Navy chaplain, now heads up "The Pray In Jesus Name Project." He believes a purge is coming.

"Chaplains are now being faced with a choice: either quit the service, or reconcile with homosexual sin," he states. "Promotions and assignments are going to be controlled by whether or not chaplains reconcile with homosexual sin. It's really leading to a purge, I'm afraid."

He contends that "many" conservative chaplains are going to be persecuted by the Obama administration -- an administration he says is "forcing these bad policies to punish chaplains who quote the Bible outside of the Sunday chapel."

Klingenschmitt says while some liberal chaplains may go along with the new policy, he believes evangelical, Bible-believing chaplains are not going to reconcile with something God has called sin -- and consequently are going to be forced to resign from the military as soon as the implementation plans are put in place.

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Combat troops to get gay sensitivity training while on the battlefield

New policy OK’d for battlefield


American combat troops will get sensitivity training directly on the battlefield about the military’s new policy on gays instead of waiting until they return to home base in the United States, the senior enlisted man in Afghanistan said Thursday.

The Pentagon is launching an extensive force-wide program to ease the process of integrating open homosexuals into the ranks, including into close-knit fighting units.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, the top enlisted man in Afghanistan where 100,000 U.S. troops are deployed, said that the sessions on respecting gays’ rights will go right down to the forward operating bases, where troops fight Taliban militants.

“I have heard about the training that will be forthcoming to the battlefield,” Sgt. Hill told Pentagon reporters via a teleconference from Kabul.

“We will take our directions from the Department of Defense, from the secretary of defense, the chairman, as well as the service chiefs of each service. Our plan is to take their direction, and we’re going to execute that training right here on the battlefield.”

No unit is exempted, he said.

“Our goal is to not allow a unit to return to home station and have the unit responsible for that,” he said. “While we own those soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, we’re going to execute that training on the ground. We hope that it will have little impact on their combat and security operations here.”

President Obama signed a bill in December to repeal the ban, called “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which required gay troops to hide their sexuality. However, the ban will stay in effect until the secretary of defense certifies that repeal of the policy will not hurt combat readiness.

Elaine Donnelly, who heads the Center for Military Readiness, said it is “ridiculous” to train combat Army soldiers and Marines as they are engage in daily combat with tenacious insurgents.

“It’s absurd because the military has more important things to think about in that dangerous part of the world,” she said. “For the administration to say this is more important than even with the troops we’re trying to train in that part of the world, I think it shows flawed priorities at best. It is ridiculous.”

Sgt. Hill is an outspoken proponent of ending the ban.

“If there are people who cannot deal with the change, then they’re going to have to do what’s best for their troops and best for the organization and best for the military service and exit the military service, so that we can move forward - if that’s the way that we have to go,” Sgt. Hill said on the television show, “Washington Watch” in December.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has ordered a detailed training regime to make sure both sides, homosexuals and heterosexuals, treat each other with respect. He has said gays will be able to declare their sexual preference openly before end of the year.

The training is broken down into three tiers. The first tier is for specialists like chaplains, lawyers and investigators. The second is for commanders in the field. The third is for the force at large, 2.2 million active and reserve troops.

The Pentagon‘s Repeal Implementation team is leading the whole process.

“Professionalism is the expectation across all the services,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Steven Hummer, the team’s chief of staff, told the Pentagon‘s news service.

“This is a disciplined force, and we expect to see that as the training and repeal go into place. Lastly, respect is what everybody expects to receive and what everybody should give.”

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Military indoctrinated on gays kissing, behavior

Materials offer scenarios on gays

By Rowan ScarboroughThe Washington Times

Updated: 6:26 a.m. on Wednesday, March 23,
2011


Joint Chief Vice Chairman Gen. James E. Cartwright, right, accompanied by Defense Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness Clifford Stanley, conduct a media briefing at the Pentagon to discuss the progress of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal implementation effort. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Four branches of the military have begun sending training material to 2.2 million active and reserve troops as a prelude to opening the ranks to gays, with instructions on, for example, what to do if an officer sees two male Marines kissing in a shopping mall.

Key themes are that sexual orientation will no longer be a bar to service, that all service members must respect each other, and that the partners of gay troops will not receive the benefits of heterosexual spouses.

"We are going to make [gay ban] repeal training expeditiously," said Maj. Joel Harper, an Air Force spokesman at the Pentagon. "It's great training."

The briefings first target commanders, who will have to enforce the new law and deal with disputes, and then the entire force. The slides, vignettes and talking points by the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps are similar.

The Marine Corps, which a Pentagon survey found holds deep opposition to lifting the ban, plans to publicly release its training material April 1. A Marine source provided copies to The Washington Times.

The vignette about seeing two male Marines kissing is part of a list of scenarios to help instructors prepare commanders for incidents likely to arise.

"Situation," it begins. "You are the Executive Officer of your unit. While shopping at the local mall over the weekend, you observe two junior male Marines in appropriate civilian attire assigned to your unit kissing and hugging in the food court.

"Issue: Standards of Conduct. Is this within standards of personal and professional conduct?"

The answer to Marines: "If the observed behavior crosses acceptable boundaries as defined in the standards of conduct for your unit and the Marine Corps, then an appropriate correction should be made. Your assessment should be made without regard to sexual orientation."

The vignettes' talking point states that commanders cannot rule a bar off limits simply because it caters to gays. Nor can commanders bar an off-duty homosexual from marching in civilian clothes in a gay-pride parade.

A Marine recruiter may not refuse to induct a gay civilian even though he views it as violating his religious beliefs. Commanders may honor a request not to shower with known gay service members.

"Marines are expected to obey lawful orders and could be subject to discipline or adverse administrative action if they refuse orders, even if such refusal is based on strong, sincerely held, moral or religious beliefs," the briefing states.

The briefings were dispatched to service members worldwide, including to combatants in Iraq and Afghanistan, as part of a major indoctrination program ordered by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to ensure that gays and heterosexuals will serve and fight together.

President Obama signed legislation to repeal the military's ban on open gays. Once training is completed this summer, Mr. Gates must certify to Congress that repeal will not hurt readiness before the ban officially ends.

The Service members Legal Defense Network, which led a long effort in Washington to kill the ban, said the military is taking too long to finish the training.

"By and large, the materials are on target," said Aubrey Sarvis, the group's executive director. "Where we take exception is with the timeline that the Army has articulated for completing training as late as August. We believe training can be wrapped up by the end of next month, especially given the fact that there will be an additional 60 days for training that may take place after certification."

In another scenario outlined in the Marine material, a lesbian Marine approaches her platoon sergeant and states "she can no longer tolerate her heterosexual roommate."

The answer: "The Platoon Sergeant must take a very active and positive leadership approach with a focus on conflict resolution and professional obligations to uphold the policy."

A separate training guide answers 23 frequently asked questions, such as "is consensual sodomy still a punishable offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice?"

Answer: "The U.S. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces found that private, consensual sexual activity, to include consensual sodomy, regardless of sexual orientation, is a protected liberty under the Fourteenth Amendment."

On the question of whether transgender or transsexual individuals may join the military, the answer: "No. Transgender and transsexual individuals are not permitted to join the Military Services. The repeal of DADT has no effect on these policies."

The main slide presentations emphasize that chaplains will be free to express their views on homosexuality.

"Free exercise of religious expression, with law and policy, remains unchanged," says one Army slide.

Soldiers may not seek an early discharge because they do not want to live or serve with gays. Same-sex partners of service members do not qualify for medical, housing or travel benefits.

A "speaker's note" accompanying the Army slides states, "This brief is NOT an attempt to change anyone's opinion or beliefs about the subject of homosexuality. However, we as an Army must always remember our Army values and respect each other's beliefs in order to accomplish the mission."

George Wright, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon, said the service is posting on an internal website a variety of training aids on the end of "don't ask, don't tell," as the ban is known.

"Training on the repeal of DADT began last month with 'chain-teaching' at the senior levels, and the materials have been made available to Army commanders worldwide, to include those in Iraq and Afghanistan."

At a Pentagon teleconference from Kabul last month, the top U.S. enlisted man there said training will take place during combat operations.

"Our goal is to not allow a unit to return to home station and have the unit responsible for that," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill. "While we own those soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, we're going to execute that training on the ground. We hope that it will have little impact on their combat and security operations here."

[Backstop]

Just to remind everyone, the TAA ToS, Item #5 stipulates you must provide a link to each article you post.

http://www.transasianaxis.com/vb/tos.php

5) When posting you are invited to provide proof for your statements, factual evidence and intelligent, non-antagonistic comments to your fellow posters. If you are stating an opinion please endeavor to ensure that people realize this is OPINION/Editorial material. You must post a link to an article you post, and you must ensure if there are copyright notices that you include that copyright notice (these things fall under "Fair Use laws" and allow the reposting of most - but not all - news articles you find elsewhere on the internet or in newspapers).

Thanks.

[Ryan Ruck]

I heard this on Glenn Beck's radio show while driving...

Allen West Delivers Stern Lesson on DADT Repeal: Isn’t the Military Rife With Rules?

April 21, 2011

Allen West was discriminated against while he was in the military. He was too short to join an elite infantry group. But, he says, he was okay with it because the military is rife with rules that serve a greater purpose, the insinuation being that there is a reason for the military‘s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) policy.

That’s the point West made during a Hill hearing yesterday on implementing the repeal of DADT. The hearing featured the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and during it West questioned almost every one of them about the certain standards each branch has that prima facia might seem discriminatory.

For example, he asked if the Army still has a minimum height requirement for an elite infantry group and if the Marines still require soldiers to pass physical fitness tests. The answer, “Yes.”

In the beginning of his comments, West summed up his position like this: “The military exists to win the nation’s wars and I think when we get to the point where we are starting to discuss about how the military conforms to accommodating individual behavior that’s what I get concerned with.”

Watch below:

[Ryan Ruck]

Marines Get Trained On Accepting Gay Recruits

April 28, 2011

Marine instructor Maj. Daryl Desimone stood before an auditorium filled with fatigue-clad troops, carrying an unequivocal message: It's OK to disagree with letting gays serve openly in the military. It's not OK to disobey orders.

He explained that the impending repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" is an order, one heard by generals and rank-and-file alike as the military tries to change the culture of a traditionally conservative institution.

Only a few of the roughly 150 Marines stepped up to ask questions.

One stood up from a back row and demanded to know why his religious beliefs were being "put aside" in favor of gays, forcing him to "basically grit my teeth and bear it."

"It's not really open to discussion," Desimone said. "Nobody's trying to change your mind."

Sexual orientation will now be a private matter, just like religion or politics, he said.

Sgt. Jay Milinichik, of Tulsa, Okla., stood up to ask what would happen if a Marine refused gay roommates.

Marines won't have separate barracks or showers based on sexual orientation, Desimone said. He added that signing up for the Marines comes with an expectation of less privacy.

That said, officers may decide to separate roommates to preserve peace, just like they do now when roommates argue.

Marines will not be allowed an early discharge for opposing the policy but exceptions will be considered, Desimone said.

"You can't just walk up and say, 'I don't like this. I'm outa here,'" he said.

Classes like Thursday's for the Combat Logistics Regiment 17 of the 1st Marine Logistics Group are being held at military bases around the world. The Marines expect to finish training by June 1, with all military branches done by summer's end.

The repeal of the 17-year "don't ask, don't tell" policy would go into effect 60 days after the president, defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that lifting the ban won't hurt the military's ability to fight.

Gen. James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, testified last year that permitting gays to openly serve could disrupt smaller combat units and distract leaders from preparing for battle.

When he appeared this month before the House Armed Services Committee, he said he had been looking for problems that might arise under the new policy and hadn't found any "recalcitrant pushback."

"There has not been the anxiety over it from the forces in the field," he said.

In small group discussions, Marines are being asked to consider their reactions to a wide range of scenarios, from seeing a member "hanging around" a gay bar to hearing locker-room jokes from others who refuse to shower in front of gays.

There is nothing wrong with "hanging around" a gay bar, the training materials state.

The officer who witnesses the loud locker-room banter aimed at gays and lesbians should remind the Marines any discrimination or harassment is inappropriate.

If a Marine spots two men in his battalion kissing off-duty at a shopping mall, he should react as if he were seeing a man and woman, according to the training materials.

If he turns on the television news to see a fellow Marine dressed as a civilian and marching in a parade with a banner that reads, "Support Gays and Lesbians in the Military!" he should accept it as a free right of expression.

A top-notch Marine recruiter opposed to the new policy cannot refuse a promising applicant because of sexual orientation. The recruiter might be considered for another assignment or, at the Navy secretary's discretion, might be granted early discharge.

Chaplains who preach at base chapels that homosexuality is a sin are entitled to express their beliefs during worship.

At Thursday's class at Camp Pendleton, there were several questions about benefits.

Desimone said Marines must follow federal law that only recognizes marriage between a man and woman, disqualifying gays from housing allowances and other benefits afforded to married couples.

But he pondered a scenario in which a gay couple would be allowed to live in military base housing because they have children and the partner is a custodial parent.

"There are inconsistencies," he said. "Anyone who looks at it logically will see there are some things that need to be worked out."

After class, Petty Officer William Evans of Riverside, Calif., said he was a bit "blindsided" when the repeal was announced. The hospital corpsman lives off the base, but said he would feel uncomfortable sharing barracks with a gay man.

"Of course, it's not something that everyone's going to be comfortable with, but we'll have to deal with it," he said.

Cpl. Vannessa Huff of Spring Valley, N.Y., said she was confident of a "smooth transition." Sexual orientation of other Marines is irrelevant in combat, she said.

"It would matter that I would save their lives, and they would save mine," Huff said. "We all wear the same uniform."

I have a feeling this can of worms is going to end up being disruptive to the military. But, hey, that was the whole point of pushing this through wasn't it.

[American Patriot]

It's only disruptive to those in the service who "don't like it".

The problem isnt that gays were ever a problem, it's that those who dislike people being gay are outspoken and it can get dangerous for the people who are gay.

The thing is I've know people throughout my military career who were gay. Inever said a word to them about it - as long as they didn't say anything to me about forcing their beliefs on me.

That's where it all comes down to.

Forcing people to "believe" as you WANT them too.

This can very easily be put to REST by the military ignoring it as an issue.

Unless someone attempts to "force themselves" on another guy - at which point they are breaking the law - then everyone should simply ignore the issue.

The Left loses then, because they can't make it into an issue if no one "gets mad" about it.

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Navy says chaplains may perform same-sex unions

Navy chaplains will be trained about their ability to perform same-sex civil marriage ceremonies under new guidance that would take effect if the Defense Department moves to recognize openly gay military service.

LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Navy chaplains will be trained about their ability to perform same-sex civil marriage ceremonies under new guidance that would take effect if the Defense Department moves to recognize openly gay military service.

Navy officials said Monday that they updated the training after questions came up about civil ceremonies for gay couples. Military training to apply the new law allowing gays to serve openly began earlier this year, and is expected to be complete by mid-summer.

In earlier training guidelines issued by the Defense Department and the military services, same-sex marriage ceremonies were not mentioned, and therefore not explicitly prohibited.

Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said Monday that the federal Defense of Marriage Act does not restrict the types of ceremonies a chaplain may perform in a chapel on a military base. The military would not compel chaplains to perform a same-sex marriage if it is against their religious beliefs.

The Pentagon has been moving carefully to implement the repeal of the 17-year-old ban on openly gay troops. Under the law passed and signed by the president late last December, final implementation will go into effect 60 days after the president and his senior defense advisers certify that lifting the ban won't hurt troops' ability to fight.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked for updates every two weeks, and so far defense officials have said there have been no reported problems.

The Navy ceremonies would be allowed at military facilities such as chapel and catering centers, but only in states that already recognize same-sex unions.

And, even if a marriage is performed, same-sex partners would not get any health, housing or other benefits that are provided to married couples involving a man and woman.

The Air Force and Army do not include discussion of same-sex marriage ceremonies in their training. The Air Force said it is aware of the issue and officials are reviewing it to determine if a change in the training is needed.

Under Pentagon guidelines, chaplains and other key military leaders were among the first tier of service members to be trained about the new law.

Much of that instruction has been completed, so the Navy will send out updates to include the marriage ceremony provision.

Under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, service members face dismissal if they revealed they were gay.

Another Reason for Christians Not To Be Military Chaplains

Posted by Laurence Vance on May 9, 2011 09:22 AM

The Office of the Chief of Navy Chaplains has decided that same-sex couples in the Navy will be able to get married in Navy chapels, and that Navy chaplains will be allowed to perform the ceremonies — if homosexual marriage is legal in the state where the unions are to be performed.

If this ever becomes a permanent reality, then the next step will be for chaplains to be required to marry any same-sex couples that ask to be married. Naturally, conservative Christian chaplains will oppose this and a dispute will ensue.

This is another reason for Christians not to be military chaplains. You will be forced by the state to violate the dictates of your conscience. For other reasons, see my “Should a Christian Be a Military Chaplain?”

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CIA to sponsor LGBT advocacy group summit

Published: 4:11 PM 07/11/2011 | Updated: 11:25 PM 07/11/2011

• CIA - Intelligence DegreeEarn an intelligence degree online at American Military University. www.AMU.APUS.edu/Intelligence

FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007 file picture, Cadet Karyn Powell stands during a midday formation at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Two decades after integration of the U.S. military, race riots flared on Navy warships in the Vietnam era. Sexual harassment of servicewomen is still pervasive, long after they were officially placed on equal footing with men. Now the military has a new social challenge - allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the ranks. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)

With the country mired in a grave debate about the debt and government spending, the CIA confirmed Monday that they are sponsoring a gay advocacy group’s summit on issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military members.

“The Central Intelligence Agency sponsorship exemplifies the climate of mutual respect for all that was cultivated on Secretary [Leon] Panetta’s watch,” said Jonathan Hopkins combat veteran and the DC managing director for the host group, OutServe. (Panetta seems to tie Iraq to 9/11 in Baghdad speech)

“Promoting diversity within the CIA’s ranks — in its many forms — is a top priority for the Agency,” Marie Harf, CIA spokesman told TheDC.

The CIA joins the Human Rights Campaign, Amazon, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Coverity, Out & Equal, Log Cabin Republicans, Stonewall Democrats of Southern Nevada, and the American Veterans for Equal Rights to put on the 2011 OutServe Armed Forces Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, Nev., this October.

“The OutServe Armed Forces Leadership Summit will provide an international forum on creating an environment of respect in the military with regards to sexual orientation and gender identity,” the Summit sponsorship page explains. “It will provide the LGBT military community a means of building professional networks, sharing best practices and formulating strategies that help build a stronger military community.”

According to OutServe’s summit page, sponsorships cost up to $50,000.

The CIA’s sponsorship was in the $10,000 range. The agency will headline a panel with Amazon about LGBT careers after military service.

[American Patriot]

LGBT?

Sigh...

"What do you think, Bruce? The Female high heels with my blues or should I go Goth and wear the combat boots today?"


Sheesh.

[Ryan Ruck]

Troops March In San Diego's Gay Pride Parade

July 16, 2011

About 200 active-duty troops and veterans wearing T-shirts advertising their branch of service marched Saturday in San Diego's gay pride parade with American flags and rainbow banners, marking what is believed to be the first time a military contingent has participated in such an event in the U.S.

Many of the active-duty troops said they were moved to come out because it is time to end the military's ban on openly gay troops. The march comes a day after a federal appeals court reinstated the "don't ask, don't tell" policy but with a caveat that prevents the government from investigating or penalizing anyone who is openly gay.

National Guard member Nichole Herrera, 31, said she didn't think twice about marching, even though the policy is back on the books. She said she was "choked up" several times as she walked down a main thoroughfare in San Diego, a major Navy port.

"This is one of the proudest days in my life. It's time for it (the policy) to be gone," Herrera said. "I'm a soldier no matter what, regardless of my sexual orientation."

The crowd roared as the group waving military flags and holding placards identifying their military branch walked past the thousands.

Every branch of service was represented Saturday, including the Coast Guard. Marines and sailors ran out carrying their branch's flags over their heads. One Marine stopped to pose with two towering bikini-clad blondes in stiletto-heeled boots.

Onlookers stepped into the parade route to salute them. One man in a rainbow colored shirt waved his feather boa and yelled "Hooah!" the military battle cry.

The national Servicemembers Legal Defense Network — representing gay and lesbian active-duty military personnel — informed organizer Sean Sala that they are warning members that it is still a risk to come out as long as "don't ask, don't tell" is on the books.

Sala, a former Navy operations specialist, said it's time for the gay and lesbian community to stop hiding in fear.

"This is not in any way a violation of military policy and it's time for the country to move on — plain and simple," he said.

Rolling slowly behind the 200 service members was a green half-ton military truck with the banner "Taking pride in our LGBT service men and women." Speakers on the truck blasted out "Taps" and military fight songs.

Miranda LeClair, 30, a former military police officer for the Navy, carried a sign that read: "Proudly served in silence for nine years." She attended with her girlfriend, also a former member of the military police.

"It's been a long time coming," said LeClair, who left the service in November. "This is really an emotional day for me."

LeClair said she was investigated under "don't ask, don't tell" in 2008 but her commanders decided not to pursue discharging her.

Marine Corps officials said service members who are not in uniform are within their rights to participate in a gay pride parade.

The policy has been on and off the books as the Obama administration works to end the law while at the same time fights a court battle because of a lawsuit by the gay rights organization, the Log Cabin Republicans, which sued the Justice Department to stop the policy's enforcement immediately.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a July 6 ruling on the lawsuit, ordered that the 17-year policy be immediately halted.

The Department of Justice filed an emergency motion Thursday asking the court to reconsider its order, saying ending the ban now would pre-empt the "orderly process" for rolling back the policy as outlined in the law passed and signed by the president in December.

Late Friday the court temporarily reinstated it, while prohibiting any investigation, penalties or discharges under the rule. The Pentagon said the ban could be lifted within weeks.

"I'm so happy I'm here and I'm able to come out and support not only myself but those who can't be here today," said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Derek Collins, who has served for 11 years.

[Backstop]

Maybe if the stupid butt fucks would shut up about what they do behind closed doors, folks could "move on."

But no.

They always gotta wave their gayness around.

Just shut the fuck up, and go suck a dick...in silence, behind closed doors.

[Ryan Ruck]

I think that's a big part of it. You don't see straight folks all up in other people's faces about how straight they are, marching in Straight Pride parades, and the like.

They say other people have no business in what goes on in their bedroom but it seems they just can't keep it there.

[American Patriot]

Start a Straight Pride Parade.

lol

[Ryan Ruck]

[Malsua]

This article title always brings to mind meatspin.

[Ryan Ruck]

LEAKED: U.S. Defense Officials Deliberately Skewed Survey Results To Sway ‘Don’t Ask’ Repeal

July 22, 2011

An explosive document from the U.S. military’s top investigative office has revealed evidence that a Pentagon survey pivotal to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal was engineered months prior to its release, and deliberately skewed in later media leaks, to sway Congress towards repeal despite opposition from combat troops.

An unredacted version of the April 2011 report by the Defense department’s Inspector General was leaked to the conservative Center for Military Readiness, and a slightly redacted version was confirmed as authentic by a Defense spokesperson to LifeSiteNews.com.

The authors found that Jeh Johnson, a co-chair of the commission handling the survey, had breached the document’s non-disclosure agreements by discussing an early draft of the document with “a former news anchor” and “close personal friend” on or around July 4, 2010. The purpose of the meeting, almost six months before the survey’s official end, was to obtain “suggestions for persuasive writing” in addition to syntax and sentence structure, according to investigators.

When the former news anchor was confronted, the IG reports that the individual said he/she was “pleased that finally the United States was getting around to this idea [repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’] and I was struck by how many members of the United States Armed Services thought this was just fine.” The individual said that he/she reached the conclusion about troops favoring repeal based on a sentence in the document she saw in July.

However, according to the survey itself, the survey’s 103 questions were not transmitted to troops until July 7, and were available online through August 15.

Further evidence of tampering emerged while investigating a source who breached non-disclosure agreements by leaking survey results to the media weeks before its release. Investigators concluded that, in addition to violating protocol, the source was “not a ‘disinterested party’” and deliberately skewed the information to favor a repeal of DADT.

“[E]vidence showed the source carefully disclosed specific survey data to support a pro-repeal agenda ... to gain momentum in support of a legislative change during the ‘lame duck’ session of Congress,” write the authors.

Investigators even say the source, who had access to the near-final survey draft, acted in spite of presumed opposition from military servicemen themselves.

“Early evidence suggested that the primary source of the information was someone who had a strong emotional attachment to the issue of furthering a repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and probably had ‘assumptions going in’ that the [Comprehensive Review Working Group]‘s findings would ultimately reveal a repeal would not be supported by a majority of Service members,” states the report.

The document notes that “96 of the 101 individuals” with access to the draft report’s data “each denied under oath” that they were the source, leaving too little evidence to reveal the source’s identity. The remaining five, all White House officials whom Johnson briefed on the survey on November 9, appear not to have been questioned.

Two prominent recipients of the leaked information, the authors of a November 11 Washington Post article, claimed that 70 percent of military respondents said the effect of a DADT repeal would “positive, mixed, or nonexistent” and that the results had “led the report’s authors to conclude that objections to openly gay colleagues would drop once troops were able to live and serve alongside them.”

But investigators note that the Post’s enormously influential figure could have been re-phrased for the exact opposite effect, hinging upon use of the “mixed effect” statistic.

“If [Post authors] Mr. O’Keefe’s and Mr. Jaffe’s sources had desired to further an anti-repeal bias for the article, he/she could likewise have combined four results categories from that same survey question to conclude that ‘82 percent of respondents said the effect of repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy would be negative, mixed or no effect,’” wrote officials.

Taken apart from the “mixed effect” statistic, the survey’s findings show evidence of strong opposition to repeal, particularly among troops with on-the-ground experience. Among respondents with combat deployment experience since September 11, 2011, four times as many troops said that a repeal would have a negative or very negative impact in a field environment than those who anticipated a positive/very positive impact - 44 percent to 11 percent.

In addition, over twelve times as many Marine combat troops said repeal would impact unit readiness negatively as those who responded positively, while Army combat troops were six times more likely to be negative than positive.

The skewed representation, however, eventually became a sturdy talking point for both media and policymakers in the months after the November 30 release.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates defended repeal in December by asserting that “a strong majority of those who answered the survey - more than two-thirds - do not object” to repeal. In an AP report Friday on Obama’s scheduled repeal announcement, the survey was similarly represented as finding that “two thirds of troops did not care if the ban ended.”

[Backstop]

It made my life much easier when I accepted the fact everybody lies.

[Ryan Ruck]

Recruiters Pressed To Reach Out To Gays Once Ban Is Lifted

July 28, 2011

An underground gay group in the military wants recruiters to reach out to the gay community in the same way they target blacks, Hispanics and women.

The Pentagon’s ban on openly gays members is due to be lifted Sept. 20, meaning avowed gay people can sign up, those in the ranks can come out of the closet and the military will no longer discharge personnel because of sexual preference.

What is unclear is the number of post-ban policies that might be adopted to meet the demands of gays and ease integration of different sexual identities.

The group OutServe, which claims more than 4,000 gay and lesbian military members worldwide, plans a “coming-out party,” of sorts, in Las Vegas in October.

The group has invited Defense Department officials to attend an OutServe Armed Forces Leadership Conference and expects hundreds of military personnel to attend.

J.D. Smith, an active-duty Air Force officer who founded OutServe, said the military should think of gays when recruiting. “J.D. Smith” is an alias he uses because the ban is still in effect.

“Absolutely, we endorse the DoD advertising recruiting for the gay community, just as they would any other community,” he said in an email exchange with The Washington Times. “The DoD regularly attends public events to recruit, and we believe they should be at Pride events next year around the country to let the gay community know the opportunities to serve their nation.

“The DoD doesn’t need to do a campaign to let the public know they accept gays; they should do it so gays know of the opportunity now open to them.”

Robert Knight, a conservative columnist, said he expects a list of gay-oriented demands for the Pentagon.

“No one should be surprised at what will be an increasingly shrill set of demands to use the military as an endorsing agency for homosexual activism,” said Mr. Knight, who helped draft the federal 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

“The idea that they would be satisfied with a military that is merely indifferent to sexual preference ignores what they’ve done in other institutions, such as corporations, schools and even some church denominations.”

Pentagon spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said no decision has been made about whether the department will officially attend the OutServe conference.

As to specifically recruiting in the gay community, she said, “The services are always looking for smart, talented young men and women who want to serve, and they determine which recruiting/marketing venues best meet their needs.”

What the gay community would like to gain from the Pentagon may materialize at the four-day Las Vegas conference. The agenda calls for several workshops, dinners, board meetings, group breakout sessions and an open-microphone session.

OutServe is urging attendance from cadets and midshipmen from the academies, active-duty personnel, veterans and federal employees. Conference sponsors include the CIA and Amazon.com.

OutServe says the conference will provide “a means of building professional networks, sharing best practices and formulating strategies that help build a stronger and more inclusive military community.”

The Pentagon has said it will not track the number of gays in the ranks as it does other minority groups, arguing that one’s sexuality is private.

Advocates in the Department of Agriculture have urged the Obama administration to make gay sensitivity training available throughout the federal government, which presumably would include the armed forces. To date, the administration has balked.

“Post-repeal, the armed forces should be reaching out to all qualified Americans, including gays and lesbians, who are prepared and want to serve their country,” said Aubrey Sarvis, director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which pushed to repeal the ban. “There is no right to serve in our military, but all who are qualified and fit should be considered.”

Last week, President Obama, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, certified to Congress that openly gay members will not disrupt combat readiness. The certification was the last step in the ban’s full repeal after gay sensitivity training for troops was completed worldwide.