**
New post on *Fellowship of the Minds*
<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/eowyn2/> Pentagon: We’re
Gay and We’re
Proud!<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/pentagon-were-gay-and-were-proud/>by
Dr. Eowyn <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/eowyn2/>
It's mid-June, but (as FOTM's Dave would say) dayem, we're just finding out
that the United States Military is celebrating the month of June as Gay
Pride Month!
Pauline Jelinek
reports<http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g8bKZrGX155UPZ5xLhaKS67tq8mg?docId=b1130179a18d45e4bb1aec1d8595c980>for
The Associated Press, June 15, 2012, that in a remarkable sign of a
cultural change in the U.S. military, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said
that with the repeal last year of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that
prohibited gays from serving openly in the military, gays and lesbians can
now be proud to be in uniform.
“Now you can be proud of serving your country, and be proud of who you
are,” Panetta said.
Panetta’s video message was part of a Pentagon salute to gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender troops as the Pentagon joined the rest of the U.S.
government for the first time in marking June as gay pride month.
It comes nine months after repeal of the policy that had prohibited gay
troops from serving openly and forced more than 13,500 service members out
of the armed forces.
The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was in force for 18 years, and its
repeal was a slow and deliberate process. President Obama on Dec. 22, 2010,
signed legislation repealing it. Framing the issue as a matter of civil
rights long denied, Obama said, “We are a nation that welcomes the service
of every patriot ... a nation that believes that all men and women are
created equal.”
Before the repeal, gay troops could serve but couldn’t reveal their
orientation. If they did, they would be discharged. At the same time, a
commanding officer was prohibited from asking a service member whether he
or she was gay.
Basic changes have come rapidly since repeal; the biggest is that gay and
lesbian soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines no longer have to hide their
sexuality in order to serve. They can put photos on their office desk
without fear of being outed, attend social events with their partners and
openly join advocacy groups looking out for their interests.
OutServe, a once-clandestine professional association for gay service
members, has nearly doubled in size to more than 5,500 members. It held its
first national convention of gay service members in Las Vegas last fall,
then a conference on family issues this year in Washington.
At West Point, the alumni gay advocacy group Knights Out was able to hold
the first installment in March of what is intended to be an annual dinner
in recognition of gay and lesbian graduates and Army cadets. Gay students
at the U.S. Naval Academy were able to take same-sex dates to the academy’s
Ring Dance for third-year midshipmen.
*The U.S. military will hold a gay pride event — the first of its kind — on
June 26 in the Pentagon.* It will feature remarks by Jeh Johnson, the top
Pentagon lawyer, as well as a panel discussion of the value of gay service
and diversity, with gay and lesbian service members participating.
****
BREAKING NEWS!!!!
Ever on the cutting edge in service to our readers, Fellowship of the Minds
obtained this exclusive.
The Pentagon's special gay pride event on June 26 promises a surprise
performance by a very special duo:
<http://fellowshipofminds.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/barry-barney.jpg>
Don't miss this special event! Hurry! Get your advance tickets now!
H/t FOTM's beloved Anon & Hardnox :D
*~Eowyn*
*Dr. Eowyn <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/eowyn2/>* | June
16, 2012 at 3:30 am | Tags:
DADT<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=dadt>,
Gay Pride Month<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=gay-pride-month>,
Knights Out <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=knights-out>, Leon
Panetta <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=leon-panetta>,
OutServe<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=outserve>|
Categories:
Uncategorized <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?cat=1> | URL:
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