All sorts of folks were in an uproar last month when Dan Choi chained himself to the White House fence--and was subsequently arrested--to protest Don't Ask, Don't. I, however, understood his frustration, and the idea that, when you spend years asking politely for something, and are told that it's being taken care, but a year goes by and you ask again and receive the same response and then you elect a man who says one of the first things he'll do is scrap that whole anti-gay discriminatory policy, and then it gets pushed back again, well, I understand the What The Fuck attitude.
A similar, and no less bold, What The Fuck attitude is being offered up by the secretary of the Army, John McHugh, who said yesterday that he was effectively ignoring DADT because he had no intention of pursuing discharges of active-duty service members who have publicly come out.
It's a figurative chaining of oneself to the fence.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced revised standards about DADT discharges last week, saying he would make it harder for the military to discharge service members whose sexual orientation is revealed by third parties. That's a small step, but it wasn't enough for John McHugh, who said it made no sense to pursue discharges of service members as he speaks with them about the change in policy.
People said that Dan Choi may have ruined his chances of being reinstated in the military with his protest and arrest, but sometimes, you get so tired of being told No that you have to do something drastic. And John McHugh is doing the same by blatantly ignoring the law.
Two heroes; two different methods; hopefully the same result.
The end of DADT.
He said he won't pursue discharges of people who talk to him about being gay. Since DADT discharges are handled by officers of lower rank, this changes nothing. Once he gives the order for everyone to stop DADT discharges, then we can celebrate.
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