With the National Equality March on Washington fast approaching, there is a lot of talk about “repeal of DADT.”
Patrick Murphy has done a lot of work with DADT repeal (called the Military Readiness Enhancement Act), even touring with the human rights campaign this summer to raise awareness of the bill. He has gotten 169 cosponsors in Congress. The main front runner of a Senate version of the bill, Ted Kennedy, recently passed away leaving the torch to other senators to carry.
Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says that he will give his opinion on DADT later this fall.
The problem I have is repeal creates only a baby step forward in ending the policy of gay apartheid (I LOVE that term) that exists in America.
More than any federal agency, the military is hell on families. Between deployments, training, and permanent changes of station, a support structure for ALL military families needs to be established. For straight couples, the military has excellent support structures in place to help ease the stress such as family advocacy programs, TRICARE, Family Readiness Groups, Army Community Service, the American Red Cross, etc. Gay couples, even after the repeal of DADT, will not have access to these programs.
Being able to tell people you’re gay without fear of losing your job is one thing, but most of us serving in the closet have at least a handful of military people that already know. However, to be in a committed relationship and still not get the same benefits your straight comrades get is entirely another.
In the area of dual military relationships, the army usually does a pretty good job of getting dual military couples stationed and deployed together; if you’re in a gay relationship, it would continue to be a roll of the dice.
So, in order to make the repeal of DADT even remotely fair, it needs to be repealed right alongside DOMA. Throw the two in together with a federal ENDA and you would have a super bill that would effectively end the apartheid. I don't actually believe this will happen, even though it's common sense (give rights to people who are denied rights... seriously... DUH!).
But that's the order it will go in... MREA (Congressmen yells hooray for gay victory!) this fall or this upcoming spring. Then they'll feel out the political climate for gays, a few more states will legalize gay marriage. A senator will notice that this gay marriage thing is gaining popularity... BOOM!!! DOMA repealed. Hooray!! Election time rolls around later that year or the next, the whole giving the rights back to the gays is really popular and we'll finally have ENDA. Senators and Congressmen rejoice!!!
Right now, I see MREA as trading one can of worms for another, smaller can. Either way, it still denies people rights that they should have.
Let's hope the march raises an eyebrow or two... and someone carry a sign for me (I can't carry one myself).
