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I popped into Arteejee for a moment to get a dose of wit and wisdom, and because a post title intrigued me ... My Favorite Republicans. Republicans? What the what?
As a gay man I find Republicans reprehensible; I mean, they support bigot bakers and florists; they worked hard to fight marriage equality ... even going so far as to say it would ruin society; they stand in our way at every turn.
But maybe not all of them, and certainly not any longer. This last week when _____ decided to Tweet a transgender ban on the military, the Democrats were quick to criticize; but then some on the other side of the aisle also stepped up for our trans brothers and sisters and even though they’re Republicans, they deserve a shout out.
So here goes:
 “The statement was unclear. The Department of Defense has already decided to allow currently-serving transgender individuals to stay in the military, and many are serving honorably today. Any American who meets current medical and readiness standards should be allowed to continue serving. There is no reason to force servicemembers who are able to fight, train and deploy to leave the military — regardless of their gender identity. We should all be guided by the principle that any American who wants to serve our country and is able to meet the standards should have the opportunity to do so — and should be treated as the patriots they are.”  “Americans who are qualified and can meet the standards to serve in the military should be afforded that opportunity.”  “I don’t think we should be discriminating against anyone. Transgender people are people, and deserve the best we can do for them. I look forward to getting much more information and clarity for our military leaders about the policy the President tweeted today.” “They don’t choose to be transgender, they’re born that way. Why should we hold that against them? They’re human beings and many of them are extremely talented human beings. We should be open to everybody”  “I would have significant objections to any proposal that calls for a specific group of American patriots currently serving in uniform to be removed from the military.”  “I’m all about training standards. High, high standards for whoever joins the military. But my initial reaction is, if you can meet those standards, we shouldn’t care who you are. So, meet the standards, and you should be able to join the military.”  “We are a nation at war. I am confident that Secretary Mattis and DoD leadership can and will evaluate current personnel policy that will enable us to recruit, train, and equip an all-volunteer force. Any American who wants to serve our country and is able to meet those standards should have the opportunity to do so.”  “Our armed forces should welcome the service of any qualified individual who is willing and capable of serving our country.”  “Department of Defense personnel decisions should be based entirely on maximizing the Armed Forces’ ability to protect and defend the American people."  “I was one who said that those who are openly gay should not be denied the opportunity to serve our country and I feel the same way about transgender.”  “I think any law-abiding American who wants to serve the nation should be able to.”  “We should not turn anyone away who is willing and able to serve our country, period. The president’s wrong.”  “Americans who are willing & able should be allowed to serve U.S. regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity”  “No American, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be prohibited from honor + privilege of serving our nation #LGBT”  “Removing thousands of men and women from admirably and honorably serving is counterintuitive to strengthening our military. I have serious concerns about what this new directive means for current active duty and reserve transgender members of our Armed Forces and National Guard. I expect Defense Secretary Mattis to provide clarity on this issue and determine what is in the best interest of military readiness to protect our nation.”  “America needs a military comprised of patriots willing to sacrifice for this country. Any American who is physically and emotionally qualified should be allowed to serve.”  “There are heroic military members willing to put their lives on the line and give the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, regardless of their gender identity. I support the ability for those who meet all military requirements, medical and otherwise, to have the opportunity to serve our great country.”
So, you see, there are some in the GOP that stand on the right, er, left, um, well, right side.
You know what I mean!
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LGBTQ Nation
well whadda ya know; ignoramus toomey supporting the trans community? WHAT will they think of next?
ReplyDeleteI've always said that a popular president can move the country either way, to the left or to the right, an unpopular president will always move it in the opposite direction
ReplyDeleteGood group!
ReplyDeletePS - thank you for your shout-out to my spouse! :)
ReplyDelete@AM
ReplyDeleteBut of course!
Nice. I have to ask: Where do they stand on same sex marriage, employment, housing, public accommodation non-discrimination, discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs, bathroom bills, LGBT support groups in schools, "reparative" therapy, anti-bullying, etc.? More to the point, how do they vote?
ReplyDeleteOn this matter at least, all seems to have gone quiet on the POTUS front. Maybe he-who-shan't-be-named is hoping that his mendacious intervention (yet another one!) will all be forgotten about. At least it served its use as a distraction - for a few hours.
ReplyDeleteMore than what I would have expected.
ReplyDeleteIf we had people with views like this , and members like this on both sides, we'd be in much better shape.
ReplyDeleteHope springs eternal.
ReplyDelete