In this region with its huge military presence there is a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement in the LGBT community on the eve of Don't Ask, Don't Tells repeal effective at 12:01AM tomorrow. There continues to be conjecture as to how many gays and lesbians now serving in the nation's military will come out tomorrow or in the near future. As reported by the New York Times, a survey by OutServe suggests that nearly 40 percent of the respondents plan on coming out to some people in the military after tomorrow - 13 percent said they expect to come out to "everyone" tomorrow. The Times also reports that soon after the Sept. 20 expiration of the ban - some sources in the LGBT blogging community say at 12:01 AM tomorrow - OutServe plans to release “Our Time: Breaking the Silence of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” a collection of first-person essays about gay life in the military with all the contributors will use their real names. Here are some other interesting highlights from the Times coverage on the OutServe survey:
As I have noted before, over time, I believe that DADT repeal will have a huge impact on this region both in terms of the LGBT community itself and in terms of opening eyes and minds in the straight community notwithstanding the efforts that Christianists will likely make to claim the world is ending (I suspect their bigoted forebears acted exactly the same way when blacks were integrated into the military). As to how the military expects things to play out after tomorrow, a Stars and Stripes article suggests that it will be "business as usual" with no issues as DADT goes onto the garbage heap. Here are some excerpts:
For my many friends and clients in the U.S. military, tomorrow will allow them to indulge in a huge sigh of relief and take a cloud of constant dread off of their shoulders. Happily, they and their partners will be able to lead much more normal lives. I am so very, very happy for them and for the USA as it throws aside at least this one element of religious based bigotry.
The survey seemed to confirm something advocates for ending the ban have long asserted: that most gay or lesbian troops — more than three-quarters, according to the survey — have been “out” to at least some of their fellow service members.
Eighty-two percent of the respondents were men; about 18 percent were women. About a third were junior enlisted; another third were non-commissioned officers; and just under 30 percent were officers.
Nearly one in five said they would be married if gay marriage were allowed in their state — raising a significant point of consideration for the Pentagon, which will have to grapple with what kinds of benefits it can give to same-sex spouses of service members after the law ends.
Only three percent said they would bring complaints to their chaplain. Similarly, two-thirds said they considered their chaplain “neither helpful nor harmful” in meeting their spiritual needs, while only about one in five considered their chaplain either extremely or moderately helpful.
As I have noted before, over time, I believe that DADT repeal will have a huge impact on this region both in terms of the LGBT community itself and in terms of opening eyes and minds in the straight community notwithstanding the efforts that Christianists will likely make to claim the world is ending (I suspect their bigoted forebears acted exactly the same way when blacks were integrated into the military). As to how the military expects things to play out after tomorrow, a Stars and Stripes article suggests that it will be "business as usual" with no issues as DADT goes onto the garbage heap. Here are some excerpts:
The military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” law ends Tuesday, allowing openly gay troops to serve for the first time and marking one of the most dramatic personnel changes in U.S. military history.
But despite the significance, defense officials have spent weeks downplaying the actual impact of the change, insisting that for gay and straight troops the repeal will still mean business as usual.
Pentagon leaders and the White House on Tuesday will acknowledge the end of the 18-year-old law — the basis for the dismissal of roughly 14,000 gay servicemembers — and last year’s contentious debate repealing it.
But, other than a few news conferences, no formal military events or instructions are planned. Pentagon officials said Monday that 2.25 million troops have completed training briefings on the rule changes since last spring, and no new sessions or advisories are expected after repeal.
Last week, AFRICOM Commander Gen. Carter Ham, who co-chaired a military study on implementing a “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal, said he saw the actual end date of the law as a non-issue. “My hope, my expectation, my belief is that it will be pretty inconsequential.”
For my many friends and clients in the U.S. military, tomorrow will allow them to indulge in a huge sigh of relief and take a cloud of constant dread off of their shoulders. Happily, they and their partners will be able to lead much more normal lives. I am so very, very happy for them and for the USA as it throws aside at least this one element of religious based bigotry.
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