SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR
So you know how legions of folks were disappointed in Obama because he didn’t wave his magic wand and banish DADT by executive order, but rather waited for Congress to do whatever it is that Congress does, and then waited for the Pentagon to do its studies and whatever? Well, get a load of this:
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.
I know, I know. But before you say anything, remember what Allan said about incrementalism:
There has been, and continues to be, a push-pull between progress and regress, with gay people often on opposing sides in every battle. But when you step back and look at the bigger picture, you cannot deny that progress happens, albeit incrementally and fitfully. It is maddening and frustrating to live your life on the front lines of a movement for social change, as I have. And yet I have seen things in my lifetime that I truly never expected to happen.
Positive inroads are being made — slowly, but surely. Meanwhile, the GOP wants to undo the repeal of DADT.***
Food for thought.
***edited.
[cross-posted here]
WereBear
At a gathering last night, I mentioned Republicans are fighting culture wars that, for the most part, the HIPPIES WON.
This is one of those.
The past couple of generations are truly less prejudiced; that is such a victory.
Arclite
ABL, you certainly get up early for someone who is supposedly enjoying her unemployment…
Arclite
BTW,
Is that cuz they’re cummin’ in the back door?
Comrade Scrutinizer
@Arclite: I saw what you did there.
steviez314
Actually, you mean GOP wants to un-repeal DADT.
JGabriel
steviez314:
They want to repeal the repeal. Which adds a whole new dimension to the definition of repellent.
.
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
oh noe, dogs and cats living in sin! human sacrifice! double pelorus on the clitoris! rear admirals to the poop deck! another ghostbusters movie! seal team 6 will find ray parker jr at his compound!
having been married, what will happen?
not a fucking thing, literally.
Southern Beale
Wow.
It’s so over, people. Marriage equality is here. Get used to it.
PeakVT
If you’re looking for your early-morning cup of outrage, here it is.
SeyorDave
When I read the various far-left blogs that demonize Obama for his moderation and incrementalism, I wonder what planet they live on. The one where he came into office, got a single payer option in the first year, immediately repealed DADT by executive order, made a sea change in our energy policy, and got his way on the Bush tax cuts.
They ignore little things like an economy that was in a near depression, unified opposition by the GOP to anything he proposed (they are unpatriotic bastards, IMO, that should all fuckin’ DIAF), and a Democratic party full of cowards, lobbyists, and DINOs.
He is a pragmatist who lives in the real world. Am I disappointed in some of his policies and compromises – yes! But I also realize he is the president of the country, not of me, so he won’t always do as I wish.
When the far left say that Obama is no different than McCain I realize they are from the planet fucking idiot. If I and others didn’t have to live in their world, I’d wish a Huckabee presidency upon them.
JGabriel
@PeakVT: I think women should leave SD en masse. SD legislators might find that misogyny is not in their interest if there were no more women around.
ETA: Also, let’s all stop visiting SD. No more tourism to Mount Rushmore.
.
Uncle Glenny
I think there will be some plagues (droughts, locusts, and the like).
Part of the homogenic global warming.
Joseph Nobles
If you’ve got an hour and 17 minutes to spare, you might want to cue up the C-Span coverage of the big recent Tea Party announcement. Not one but TWO guys in Minutemen drag (one’s a pro George Washington impersonator), plus Joseph Farah of WorldNutDaily and some other guy. Actually, the other Minuteman fellow claimed to be somebody, too. The first guy on the left of the signers of the Declaration. He’s the one with the musket with a flower in it. No calls for violence here! They are announcing the Tea Party Woodstock Festival, I kid you not.
Anyway, I’m bringing it up because the other Minuteman guy also protested DADT, calling it the effeminization of the military. Yep, he includes sending the ladies into forward operating roles. And he certainly did have a long, long list of the places available for illicit gay sex in the modern military. Definite feel of “sigh, good times” to this guy’s gaydar.
So, yeah, if you need one hour seventeen of crazy in your life, you won’t find a better video than this one.
Ken
@JGabriel: “SD legislators might find that misogyny is not in their interest if there were no more women around.”
Yeah, but that gets us back to the topic of this post, so I dunno how things work in SD. Nor do I care to go to SD to find out.
gypsy howell
@PeakVT:
PA is about to do something similar this week. They’re voting on legislation (PA 574) reclassifying abortion clinics as ambulatory surgical centers, which essentially will shut all of them down. It will most likely pass, and it will be signed by our douchebag governor.
We’ve now got a government of the douchebags, by the douchebags and for the douchebags.
Bob
I would add one thing to your pie graph. Gay people will also get divorced – probably at about the same rate as straight people.
Mandramas
It was surprisingly less difficult that I expected when the same sex marriage federal law was passed in my country, Argentina, last year. A lot of people started to complains, but they don’t argument and quickly they conceded, except of course for selected wingnuts and Catholic Church . We are not a very religious country, anyways.
geg6
@JGabriel:
Yup. It’s happening everywhere, here in PA, too. Nancy SMASH’s Mother’s Day message was about the Republican war on women.
I say we go Lysistrata on them.
WereBear
I’ve yet to see one hot enough to overcome my ideological objections, so it’s not even a hardship.
JAHILL10
ABL, have I told you lately that I love you? That graph is priceless.
Nikki
Personally, I cannot WAIT for the gay marriages from the Marine Corp. Dig it…not one, but two, of those sexy beasts in those magnificent uniforms walking together under those crossed swords. It’s enough to make a girl swoon!
beergoggles
Where can you find pleasure
Search the world for treasure
Learn science technology
Where can you begin to make your dreams all come true
On the land or on the sea
Librarian
It seems that the pattern is that the hippies are winning on the social issues but losing on the economic issues. This might be because, when it comes down to it, our Galtian overlords don’t really care about issues unless they affect their pocketbooks.
John T
@Southern Beale:
Well, that’s lovely wishful thinking. But my state has a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Odds are, yours does too.
Joe Beese
Hope you all enjoy your new comfy seats at the back of the bus.
Roger Moore
@Southern Beale:
Not quite yet. We won’t have real marriage equality until everyone gets the same benefits from their marriage, which is explicitly not true in this case.
Yutsano
@Nikki: If I can get a Dawg to tell me I was an idiot (he asked me and I said no, yeah I’m dumb but anyway) there will indeed a set of dress blues and a white Victorian tux. And a sword arch. And I better get whacked on the butt. :)
@Joe Beese: Shut. Up. You don’t have the first fucking clue what you’re talking about.
Culture of Truth
well….
folds arms [ harrumph ]
Brian S
@Roger Moore: You’re right. But it’s within sight now, which is something I wouldn’t have said ten years ago.
MBL
@JGabriel:
I’d be more concerned about South Dakota’s sheep than I would about their legislators.
Catsy
@Joe Beese:
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you exhibit A for why nobody takes Joe Beese seriously as anything other than an Internet punching bag.
I gotta ask, Joe, what exactly do you get out of commenting here? You’re certainly not persuading anyone–your association with facts and cogent argument is so distant, your screeds have even prompted people here who don’t like Obama to refute you. It can’t be for the companionship: your compulsive need to insert a “and this is why Obama sucks” comment into every thread (whether or not it has anything to do with Obama) has turned you into the Balloon Juice Butt Monkey.
You are a laughing stock. Nothing more than a running joke here, and you have to know it. And never has your pathological Obama-hatred been so transparent and pathetic as in the last week, when you’ve had to twist yourself into knots in order to find something about bin Laden’s death that you can use to attack Obama–and in the process making common cause with the looniest of the crazy wingnuts.
At this point your credibility here is so far in the red that you’re about three anti-psychotic medications and a grammar-related felony away from being the next m_chan. And about the only thing you have on that luminary is the ability to spell and punctuate.
(Edit: FYWP. I don’t know why, but I’ve had a real problem lately with submitting comments that disappear into the void–not even moderation, just nonexistence, though WP will then tell me I’ve already submitted that comment if I try to redo it–and they never show up.)
Tom
Why do we continue to have commissioned officers as chaplains in the military? Their loyalty is not to the troops or the military, but to their religion.
I have had friends who asked for a simple church wedding, but were refused because their spouse was not of the “true” religion and the Chaplin would not prostitute his position in his church. So even if the military okays same sex marriage ceremonies, good luck finding a chaplin to perform it. We taxpayers are paying for their services, their churches are not.
Privatize the chaplains or make them self supporting.