Is the Navy Making Owen Honors Its Fall Guy?

I and many outlets have previously addressed the story of former U.S.S. Enterprise executive officer Owen Honors and his production of sleazy videos that were played aboard the Enterprise during various deployments. For those new to the story, the videos included sexual jokes, subordinates parading in drag, anti-gay slurs, and sailors pretending to masturbate, shower together and perform rectal exams. When the story first broke, it seemed hard to believe that Honors' superiors were not aware of his video productions. Now, Honors - who was relieved of command of his ship - has submitted a statement that his superiors- including two admirals - knew of the videos and had even encouraged their production. True to form, the members of the higher brass are claiming to have had no knowledge of the videos and it looks like Honors is being slated to take the fall as the Navy true to form plays damage control. One thing one learns quickly living in this region is that the Navy never takes responsibility for misdeeds and/or mistakes and will look for an individual to fall on their sword instead. Honors doesn't seem to want to fall on his sword alone. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:
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In a statement to investigators, Capt. Owen Honors said he had "affirmative and tacit approval of senior Navy leadership" when he made and broadcast a series of videos to the crew of the carrier Enterprise in 2006 and 2007.
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The former Enterprise commander said in his 15-page statement to Fleet Forces Command that the ship's two commanding officers, two strike group admirals and "myriad other senior military and civilian distinguished visitors" were aware of the videos, the Navy Times reported on its website Sunday.
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David Brown, managing editor of the Navy Times, said Honors' statement includes two points - that senior leadership encouraged the videos by discussing them weekly and that Honors was never told to stop making them - that contradict what the Navy has reported.
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"After personally reviewing the videos Capt. Honors created while serving as executive officer, I have lost confidence in his ability to lead effectively," Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., the four-star head of the Navy's Fleet Forces Command, said during a news conference Jan. 4. "He is being held accountable for the poor judgment and inappropriate actions repeatedly demonstrated in those videos."

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Honors may be a boorish idiot, but somehow I suspect that he's telling the truth about his superiors knowing about what was going on and that they likely just laughed it off.

Entertainment Weekly Cover Sends Wingnuts Into Frenzy

The Christo-fascists of the far right cannot tolerate anything that depicts gays as mainstream and/or doesn't depict us as emotionally disturbed and an element of society to be shunned and denigrated. One of the latest examples of the extremism of our enemies is the conniption fit occurring over the photo of Chris Colfer and Darren Criss on the cover of a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly. The photos is harmless and the magazine contains an article about the depiction of gay teens on television. Perennial loon, Brent Bozell's panties are in a major wad over the cover photo and article in question and has written a rant about pro-gay propaganda on the winger news site "Newsbusters." Of course if any news outlets disseminate propaganda, it's outlets like Newsbusters and similar anti-gay, anti-modernity sites loved by the Bible beaters and their minions. Among the comments on Bozell's piece is on that states "there is abuse or some family issue that drives these young men and women into this lifestyle." Hatred of others - be they gay, black, non-Christian, etc., - is not a Christian value per the Gospels, yet that is Bozell's main stock in trade. Indeed, if one wants a good reason to reject being a Christian, the writings of Bozell are a good starting point. Here are highlights of his verbal diarrhea:
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If anyone doubts that our entertainment industry and our entertainment media are evangelists for a revolution of sexual immorality (or in their lingo, “progress”), he needs only to read the latest cover story in Entertainment Weekly magazine, a “special report” on gay teen characters on TV, and “How a bold new class of young gay characters on shows like 'Glee' is changing hearts, minds, and Hollywood.”
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Colfer just won a Golden Globe for his part, which is another way the Hollywood press rewards propagandizing the youth of America. In his acceptance speech, he lamented anyone who would say a discouraging word about teen homosexuality, somehow putting all of those words in mouths of bullies: “Screw that, kids!”
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Their most controversial scene was the two private school boys singing “Baby, It's Cold Outside” to each other on the Fox show. “That was the gayest thing that has ever been on TV, period, “ Colfer boasted. The magazine touted this was the hottest-selling track on the “Glee” Christmas album, which gives you a flavor of Hollywood's reverence for that holy day.
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As you might suspect, Entertainment Weekly didn't plan to debate gay teen propaganda, but to encourage it, energetically. Not a single soul had anything critical to say. Not even a question. . . . They are not celebrating diversity. They are intimidating dissidents.
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One of the leading cable channels in this revolution is ABC Family, which has come a very long distance from its origins as a Pat Robertson channel. Entertainment Weekly crowed that they top GLAAD's “Network Responsibility Index” – as in, you have a responsibility to engage in didactic pro-gay messaging. Most of ABC Family's teen shows seem to have a sympathetic gay character: “Greek,” “Huge,” Pretty Little Liars,” and “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.”
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ABC Family vice president Kate Juergens underlined that the children are expecting this: “With our millennial audience, it's what they expect to see...'Don't Ask Don't Tell' was such a vestige of an older generation.”
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Some might say it's best to let Bozell and those like him rant and vent their hatred since the more he/they do so, the faster the younger generations will walk away from the hate based values of conservative Christianity which, in my view, is an evil in the world just as foul as fundamentalists Islam.

More Sunday Male Beauty

The Mounting Damning Evidence Against the Vatican

The UK's National Secular Society is doing an excellent job of "connecting the dots" and making a sound case that the Vatican - and Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI - had total complicity in the world wide cover up of cases of sexual abuse of children and youths. Two excellent posts on the organization's website found here and here make the case that the world wide conspiracy to hide abuse and silence victims originated from the Vatican - despite the Vatican's efforts to claim otherwise. The sad truth is that Benedict XVI likely ought to be under indictment and that John Paul II rather than being on a cynical fast tract to beatification ought to being exposed for an accessory to crimes against children. The truth is that the Vatican is a foul cesspool when it comes to the manner in which it either turned a blind eye to sexual abuse or, worse yet, did its utmost to keep information from being reported to the civil authorities. The 1984 letter referred to in the posts can be found here. Yes, it is hard for many Catholics to admit the truth, but as long as they mindlessly continue their church attendance at Catholic parishes and make financial contributions, Rome has no motivation to ever clean house and hold the guilty accountable. Here are some highlights from these posts:
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Two recently uncovered letters from the Vatican provide strong evidence that, despite their claims to the contrary, the present Pope and his predecessor were well aware of the scale of the priestly child sex abuse crisis and took active steps to cover it up.
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The letters make clear that the Vatican, and the Pope’s personal representatives, put protection of the Church before the protection of children. It instructed bishops in two different parts of the world not to report known abusers to the police or release files.
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Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, comments: . . . . The most effective remedy is pursuing the Vatican itself, and perhaps its leaders, through international organisations and the courts. . . . . “The letters make it all nigh impossible for the Vatican to heap all the blame for gross misdeeds on local bishops. As Prefect of the Congregation of Doctrine of the Faith since November 1981, no one knows more about child abuse in the Catholic Church than the current pope, Joseph Ratzinger. Most of those reading these letters will be asking whether the pope could not have known (to put it no stronger) about these instructions to be obstructive to the secular authorities in reporting suspicions or releasing files.”

Why the Word “Marriage” Matters in the LGBT March for Equality

Timothy Kincaid has a very good piece at Box Turtle Bulletin on why same sex couples should not settle for anything less than "marriage" as opposed to "civil unions" or "domestic partnerships" or whatever other nomenclature may be given to what are nothing less than second class recognition of relationships. In addition to Kincaid's reasons, there is another simple fact: many state and federal laws - and some foreign laws too - specifically use the word marriage or married (e.g., IRS 1o40's which have one of the options "married filling jointly. As a result, unless our relationships have the word "marriage" applied to them, there are hundreds of rights and benefits that we will not receive. Anyone who claims otherwise is, excuse my directness, a LIAR. And that includes our faux "fierce advocate" in the White House who cannot bring himself to embrace gay marriage and who by so doing makes the statement that he favors gay inferiority. Here are highlights from Kincaid's post that looks at other ramifications of not having "marriage":
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Many people – and I used to be one of them – believe that domestic partnerships are an adequate response to the needs of same-sex couples and that our battle over the word “marriage” is a distraction, an unnecessary obstacle that alienates potential supporters and does not take the feeling of others into consideration. I have grown beyond that position, and now see that our goal of marriage is an essential one, for a number of reasons.
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First, I understand that at this point in our progress, the selection of domestic partnerships or civil unions rather than marriage is specifically designed to make a statement that same-sex unions are inferior.
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Secondly, I have serious doubts about the ability of a secondary, lesser-status institution to consistently provide equal access, services, or application of law. Separate but equal has seldom proven in history to be nearly as equal as it was separate.
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Third, I believe that same-sex couples are entitled to the social and societal connotations that come with the word, customs, and traditions of marriage and that this are in the best interest of society. I believe that calling our unions something else can reduce important social expectations both on the part of those in the couple and the demands that the community place on married couples.
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But perhaps the most obvious reasons for eliminating the hodge-podge patchwork of nomenclatures created to make sure that same-sex couples aren’t really married, is that they are confusing. No one knows what they mean.
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The Republic of Ireland has no idea what rights or privileges are granted by what scheme. This year Ireland, as part of it’s new civil partnerships law, decided to recognize marriages – and similar institutions – from other nations as civil partnerships within its borders. And so, with Statutory Instrument 649, Dermot Ahern, Minister for Justice and Law Reform, announced which other nations and states would have their forms recognized:
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Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Mexico City, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Also, from the United States, Ireland will recognize California (marriages only), Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont, and Washington D.C.
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What is missing? Domestic Partnerships in California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada which offer every right, privilege, obligation and duty of marriage, but with another name.
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On a last note, take a look at the list of nations that allow marriage or its equivalent. The USA as a whole is shockingly absent and this absence underscores that the United States is increasingly less of the beacon of freedom that it pretends to be. Sadly, that mantle has been taken up by other nations - even some once viewed as inferior to America. How has this happened? It's summarized by one word: religion. Religion in the form of special rights given to gay hating Christians to write religious based discrimination into the nation's laws.

More Coverage of Chick-fil-A's Christianist Extremist Mind Set

UPDATED: Chick-fil-A is apparently feeling the heat from recent coverage of its Christianist values and it has issued a new disingenuous statement trying to depict itself as friendly and loving to all. Of course, it's not, and gays are treated as lepers except for when it comes to taking our money. Jeremy Hooper has a good take down of this latest ploy at Good As You.
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I have written before about Chick-fil-A and why I stopped patronizing the company's restaurants once I learned that the company's founder is an Uber-Christian and extremely anti-gay, providing support to many organizations that have near hate group status. Much of the coverage of Chick-filA's policies has been limited to the LGBT media. Now, the New York Times has a story on the privately held company which is continuing the far right founder's policies under the rein of his two sons. With many choices to pick from in the fast food realm, I would encourage readers (who need to in turn encourage their friends and family members) to boycott Chick-fil-A. I see no reason to basically fund those who would keep us second or third class citizens. While the principals of Chick-fil-A have the right to their religious views, one can nonetheless hope that with coverage such as in the Times story, more people will avoid Chick-fil-A and opt for restaurants not controlled by far right theocrats. Here are story highlights:
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Nicknamed “Jesus chicken” by jaded secular fans and embraced by Evangelical Christians, Chick-fil-A is among only a handful of large American companies with conservative religion built into its corporate ethos. But recently its ethos has run smack into the gay rights movement. A Pennsylvania outlet’s sponsorship of a February marriage seminar by one of that state’s most outspoken groups against homosexuality lit up gay blogs around the country. Students at some universities have also begun trying to get the chain removed from campuses.
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“If you’re eating Chick-fil-A, you’re eating anti-gay,” one headline read. The issue spread into Christian media circles, too
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Because the company remains privately held — his two sons run it — it can easily keep its faith-based principles intact. The company’s corporate purpose is, in part, “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us.”
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Chick-fil-A is a trailblazer of sorts, said Lake Lambert, the author of “Spirituality, Inc.” and dean of the college of liberal arts at Mercer University, where he teaches Christianity. “They’re going in a direction we haven’t seen in faith-based businesses before, and that is to a much broader marketing of themselves and their products,” he said. “This is possibly the next phase of evangelical Christianity’s muscle flexing.”
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The company’s Christian culture and its strict hiring practices, which require potential operators to discuss their marital status and civic and church involvement, have attracted controversy before, including a 2002 lawsuit brought by a Muslim restaurant owner in Houston who said he was fired because he did not pray to Jesus with other employees at a training session. The suit was settled.
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Douglas Quint, a concert bassoonist who operates The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck in New York during the summer, said he believed that people should make informed decisions about their food. “It literally leaves a bad taste because I know the people who are putting this food in my mouth actively loathe me,” he said. “I’m all for freedom of religion, it’s just that I know where I want my money to go and I don’t want my money to go.”
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I agree with Mr. Quint and one will not be seeing me patronize this bigoted company's outlets.

Sunday Male Beauty

Growing Revolt in Egypt Shows Weakness in U.S. Strategy

Time and time again throughout the last fifty or more years, the U.S. has backed dictators and corrupt rulers out of what I am sure seemed to be expediency at the time or because such despots seemed a better short term solution to the immediate situation. Unfortunately, such decisions never seemed to have had a long term view of where things might develop down the road. The ongoing revolt in Egypt is a case in point. For nearly thirty years "President" Hosni Mubarak has been a dictator in all by name. If his government is toppled - and it seems it could happen as reports of army troops siding with protesters are increasing - I suspect we will learn that the USA has no "Plan B" for such an eventuality. Obviously, the world does not need another Muslim extremist regime, but by solidly backing Mubarak for decades, I fear that the USA has helped create a vacuum for any organized alternative government that isn't potentially religious based. Time will tell, but the situation is most worrisome. Moreover, if discontent and upheaval spreads across the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia, the USA's foolish dependence on foreign oil may bite all of us in the ass big time. So far, Mubarak is employing more of the same old heavy handed tactics and has shut down the Internet and the operations of Al Jazeera's Cairo bureau in an effort to keep protesters uninformed. Here are highlights from the New York Times on the escalating chaos:
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As President Hosni Mubarak struggled to maintain a tenuous hold on power and the Egyptian military reinforced strategic points in the capital, the United States said on Sunday it was offering evacuation flights for its citizens and urged all Americans currently in Egypt to “consider leaving as soon as they can safely do so.”
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The announcement injected a stronger note of growing alarm among Egypt’s allies as an uprising against Mr. Mubarak’s almost three decades in power entered a sixth day, fraught with uncertainty about its outcome. Police have largely withdrawn from the country’s major cities and the military has done little so far to hold back tens of thousands of demonstrators defying a curfew to call for an end to Mr. Mubarak’s rule..
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On Sunday, Turkey, a major regional player, said it was sending three flights to evacuate 750 of its citizens from Cairo and Alexandria, one day after Israel flew back the families of its diplomats in Egypt on Saturday
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France, Britain and Germany issued a rare joint statement urging President Mubarak and the protesters to show restraint. But, like President Obama, they did not call for the ouster of an autocratic leader who has cast himself as a linchpin of Western diplomatic and security interests in the Middle East.
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State television said Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite broadcaster whose coverage of the turmoil in the Arab world has spread word of protests from capital to capital, was being taken off the air in Egypt. But, initially at least, the station continued to broadcast. Earlier, its Arabic channel had proclaimed: “Egypt speaks for itself.” Internet connections remained cut on Sunday as the authorities sought to contain the potential spread of unrest.
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It was unclear whether the soldiers in the streets were operating without orders or in defiance of them. But their displays of support for the protesters were conspicuous throughout the capital. In one striking example, four armored military vehicles moved at the front of a crowd of thousands of protesters in a pitched battle against the Egyptian security police defending the Interior Ministry.
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If Mr. Mubarak’s decision to pick a vice president aroused hopes of his exit, his choice of Mr. Suleiman did nothing to appease the crowds in the streets. Long trusted with most sensitive matters like the Israeli-Palestinian talks, Mr. Suleiman is well connected in both Washington and Tel Aviv. But he is also Mr. Mubarak’s closest aide, considered almost an alter ego, and the protesters’ negative reaction was immediate.
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Many of the protesters were critical of the United States and complained about American government support for Mr. Mubarak or expressed disappointment with President Obama. “I want to send a message to President Obama,” said Mohamed el-Mesry, a middle-aged professional. “I call on President Obama, at least in his statements, to be in solidarity with the Egyptian people and freedom, truly like he says.”

Virginia Beach Bistro's First Drag Brunch Was Sell-Out

OMG! The Bible beaters at CBN, Regent University, Kempsville Prebyterian Church, Trinity Church (Congressman Scott Rigell's church), and other centers of anti-gay extremism in Virginia Beach are going to be convulsing and wetting themselves when they learn that Croc's, a long time Oceanfront restaurant's, first drag brunch was a sell out and that more are being planned. Currently, the only regular drag brunch to be had in eastern Virginia is in Richmond where the two seatings always sell out. I hope Croc's will continue the drag brunches into to the main tourist season this coming summer. Virginia Beach likes to see itself as a first class resort destination, but sadly in reality it caters principally to blue collar and working class families and in its quest to be a "family resort" anything fun and different gets squashed or run out of the resort area. It is one reason I NEVER go to Oceanfront and frankly would advise discerning and sophisticated travelers to pick some other destination. Kudos to Croc's for having the spunk to begin what can be a hilarious and fun way to do brunch. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot (Note that folks had to be turned away at the door):
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A little song, a little dance and some bawdy jokes accent the new brunch menu at Croc's Eco Bistro. The venerable Oceanfront eatery has started Sunday brunch service with a twist - the addition of a cabaret-style show featuring female impersonators.
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The first drag brunch was Jan. 16, and both the 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. seatings were sold out. In fact, folks were turned away from the brunch, says Laura Wood Habr, a co-owner of the restaurant.
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A half-dozen female impersonators danced, told jokes and lip-synced to everything from Nancy Sinatra to Lady Gaga, all dressed in outfits that ranged from psychedelic, swinging '60s to Las Vegas showgirl. "It's a high energy event," Habr says, noting that the show is modeled after the long-running, popular drag brunch at Godfrey's in Richmond.
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The next drag brunch is Feb. 13, and future dates will be set, says Habr. Croc's is at 620 19th St. Call 428-5444 or visit www.crocsrestaurant.com.

Ninth Circuit Refuses to Suspend 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' Case

In a move that I believe is 100% correct - especially in light of the U. S. military's attempts to charge back monies against LGBT service members under DADT and to reduce their separation payments - the 9th Circuit has rejected the Obama DOJ's request that Log Cabin Republicans v. United States be suspended in light of the still not implemented repeal of DADT. DADT has always been nothing more than a law that deliberately discriminates against gay Americans based on the prejudices of and special rights wrongfully given to conservative Christians. As such, the nation needs to have a judicial invalidation of the law as unconstitutional in order that service members discharged under it and penalized by the military on their discharge can have redress. If Obama truly were the "fierce advocate" he pretends to be, the government would never have appealed the ruling of Judge Phillips or the world wide injunction she entered. As long as Obama continues to direct his DOJ to appeal pro-gay rulings, in my book, he cannot be trusted whatsoever. Is he better than having a GOP president? Definitely. Can he be trusted? Not at all given that he continues to lie and try to have things both ways. Here are highlights from ABC News:
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The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco issued an order requiring the Department of Justice to file papers by Feb. 25 that outline why the court should overturn the decision of a California judge who ruled the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy unconstitutional.
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District Court Judge Virginia Phillips made the ruling to enjoin the military from enforcing the policy in September, three months before the Dec. 18 vote that overturned "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Phillips was persuaded by a lawsuit brought on by the gay political group The Log Cabin Republicans.

Meanwhile, openly gay servicemen and women are still being discharged, according to R. Clarke Cooper, president of The Log Cabin Republicans. Cooper said today that while he thinks the Pentagon's efforts are sincere, the case should proceed as long as gay service members still can be discharged.
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"We said all along to the government we would drop our case if they would cease all discharges and remove all barriers to open service," said Cooper, an Army reserve officer, who added that he knew of at least one service member facing a discharge hearing next month.