Pam Spaulding's Blog, page 11
July 19, 2011
Historic: President endorses Respect for Marriage Act; would repeal all of DOMA
The president has "long called for a legislative appeal for the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which continues to have a real impact on families," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at Tuesday's briefing. He said the president "is proud" to support the Respect For Marriage Act, "which would take the Defense of Marriage Act off the books for once and for all."Via Chris Geidner at MetroWeekly, the relevant part of the transcript:The bill was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
Metro Weekly: The president has said in the past that he opposes the Defense of Marriage Act, but he is yet to endorse the Respect for Marriage Act, which is the specific piece of legislation --This would repeal ALL of DOMA:Carney: Senator [Dianne] Feinstein [(D-Calif.)], yeah.
Metro Weekly: -- aimed to repeal the bill. Tomorrow, the Senate will hold the first hearing into that bill. Is the administration ready to endorse that bill?
Carney: I can tell you that the President has long called for a legislative repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which continues to have a real impact on the lives of real people -- our families, friends and neighbors. He is proud to support the Respect for Marriage Act, introduced by Sen. Feinstein and Congressman [Jerrold] Nadler [(D-N.Y.)], which would take DOMA off the books once and for all. This legislation would uphold the principle that the federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections as straight couples.
* The federal definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman;
* The section that allows states not to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states;
* The federal government prohibition from recognizing legally performed same-sex marriages.
Congressman Jerry Nadler:
Other reactions were swift. They are below the fold.Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the author and lead sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), lauded President Barack Obama's direct endorsement of his legislation. Nadler is the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and vice-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus.
"I am thrilled by President Obama's endorsement today of the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation which I introduced in order to repeal the discriminatory and cruel Defense of Marriage Act once and for all," said Nadler. "The President's unprecedented decision to support this timely legislation sends a powerful message to Members of Congress and to the American people that now is the moment to dispense with DOMA and remove this ugly blight from our legal code. The President has consistently supported repeal of DOMA and, with today's announcement, in advance of tomorrow's landmark Senate hearing, he has taken yet another step to make this a reality. On the heels of New York's advancement of marriage equality last month, the Respect for Marriage Act is more necessary than ever to ensure that all legally married couples are treated the same - and granted the same recognition - by the federal government."
The Respect for Marriage Act currently has 118 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. The Act represents the consensus approach endorsed by the nation's leading LGBT and civil rights stakeholders and legislators, and would ensure that valid marriages are respected under federal law, providing couples with much-needed certainty that they will have the same access to federal responsibilities and rights as all other married couples.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will chair the first-ever hearing on the Respect for Marriage Act tomorrow. Rep. Nadler will testify on his legislation.
Adam Bink at Prop 8 Trial Tracker:
This morning, we held an emotional press conference in a packed media room at the National Press Club with Sen. Feinstein and three couples who commuted to DC to tell their stories. It was just incredible. I'll have more on that later.Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry:Then, we got word from the White House that President Obama would heed the call of over 25,000 Courage Campaign members, and formally endorse the Respect for Marriage Act. Why is this a big deal? Because the White House rarely, if ever, endorses legislation that hasn't passed a house of Congress... and this one hasn't even passed committee yet. It underscores the urgency of this issue, and it also generates huge momentum to our efforts to bring more Senators on board. How many pro-LGBT Senators are going to let President Obama be ahead of them on this?
"Freedom to Marry applauds President Obama's strong endorsement of the Respect for Marriage Act and the repeal of so-called 'DOMA.' The federal government should not be picking and choosing which marriages it will honor and which it will disregard when it comes to the important federal protections that come with marriage, such as Social Security, health coverage, fair tax treatment, and immigration rights. Congress should follow the President's lead and return the federal government to its traditional practice of honoring all lawful marriages equally - without the 'gay exception' of DOMA."Rick Jacobs, Courage Campaign:
We are delighted that today, on the eve of a historic Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, President Obama endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act. It is rare that a White House endorses a bill that has yet to pass first in either the Senate or the House. President Obama's decision to do so underscores the urgency with which the Defense of Marriage Act must be repealed. His support makes clear to all Americans that the Defense of Marriage Act has no place in our society.Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, who will, along with Wolfson, testify at the DOMA hearing:Earlier this month, over 25,000 Courage Campaign members signed a letter asking the President to support this legislation. At a White House reception on June 29, the President indicated to me that he would endorse the bill. His exact words to me were, "I support repeal of DOMA. You know where I stand."
This morning, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, called me referring to my conversation with the president to say that today was the day and that Jay Carney would announce the White House's support for the bill. The members of the Courage Campaign are thrilled.
"We thank the President for his support of the Respect for Marriage Act. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to see the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act repealed and his Justice Department has taken the historic step of ending its defense of that odious law in court. By supporting this legislation, the President continues to demonstrate his commitment to ending federal discrimination against tens of thousands of lawfully married same-sex couples."Senator John Kerry (D-MA):
Kerry, who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, was an original co-sponsor of the legislation to repeal key provisions of DOMA.Rea Carey, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:"Today's announcement from the White House is a historic signal that momentum is growing to end the era of DOMA," said Sen. Kerry. "Last year we finally repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell, ending an era that one day will seem as antiquated as the days before President Truman desegregated the military. When we pass the Respect for Marriage Act, so too will the era of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act seem anachronistic in a country where we don't believe there should be any second class citizens.
"It is still difficult to believe that DOMA passed the Senate 85 to 14 in 1996. I'm proud that I voted against it then, and determined now to end the discrimination it enshrined in our laws. The Respect for Marriage Act provides long-awaited federal protection and benefits to married gay and lesbian couples. It would end DOMA's tragic discrimination that for three years left a married Massachusetts couple separated by the immigration system. It took my intervention to reunite them; thousands just like them are still waiting for passage of the Respect for Marriage Act to provide them the basic rights they deserve. Today, President Obama has made it clear his Administration will continue to lead as no Administration has done before in the effort to end discrimination against gay Americans. This is very significant news."
"President Obama did the right thing today by announcing his support of the Respect for Marriage Act. In doing so, he joins the large and growing chorus urging for an end to DOMA, a discriminatory, unjust and far-reaching law. There is no sound defense of the indefensible DOMA, which singles out and selectively denies fundamental rights to legally married same-sex couples. We thank the president for his support on the eve of the historic congressional hearing to repeal DOMA. We thank him and the many House and Senate members who recognize that DOMA has no place on the books and support its full, swift repeal. DOMA has only served to belittle our country's deeply held values of freedom and fairness. It has only served to hurt families, not help. This must end now."National Stonewall Democrats:To learn more about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, visit www.theTaskForce.org (http://www.theTaskForce.org) and follow us on Twitter: @TheTaskForce (http://www.twitter.com/thetaskforce).
"With his commonsense endorsement of the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), President Obama makes a strong follow up move to his having called DOMA unconstitutional and his instruction to the Department of Justice to no longer defend it in court," said Michael Mitchell, NSD Executive Director. "It is in keeping with his promise to see DOMA repealed - something that no leading Republican candidate for President would ever dream of doing."DOMA has been an egregious affront to personal liberty since it was enacted almost 20 years ago and we strongly agree with the President, RMA's sponsors and a solid majority of Americans that it's time for it to end."
New York Braces For A Rainbow Crush
New York City, expecting unprecedented demand for marriage services this Sunday has set a cap at 764 and a lottery system to avoid "chaos," as they have already been besieged by 2,661 requests.
New York Times:
Mr. Bloomberg said the city would hold a lottery to determine which couples, gay or straight, will be allowed to marry at the five borough clerks' offices. He said the 764 marriages would be the highest number ever performed by the city in a single day.
The city said it was imposing the cap in an effort to avoid chaos on Sunday. The clerk's office has already received 2,661 applications for licenses since it started accepting online applications from same-sex couples. City officials estimated that 1,728 of those applications were from same-sex couples. Most couples do not apply online for licenses before showing up at a clerk's office, so the number seeking to marry on Sunday would probably be much higher.
"The last thing we want is for couples to wait on line for hours and hours, only to walk away upset on what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives," Mr. Bloomberg said in a statement. "The fairest way to determine who gets the chance to wed on Sunday and ensure everyone can properly plan for their own big day is through an evenhanded lottery system."
July 24th is the first day that the new marriage equality law takes effect. It is also a Sunday. Ordinarily, state and city offices would be closed that day. It's heartwarming to see state and city governments bending the rules a little and opening up on a day off, just so the gays don't have to wait an extra day. Let's hear it for our government employees for working on the weekend.
[image error] News upstate is venerable wedding destination Niagara Falls is looking to cash-in celebrate as well. The state's first same-sex marriage will come at the stroke of midnight (Saturday night, or Sunday am) in (where else?) Niagara Falls. From PolitickerNY:
The inaugural couple will be Kitty Lambert and Cheryle Rudd, Buffalo residents who have been trying to wed for over a decade and who have five children and 12 grandchildren between them. According to a release from New Yorkers United for Marriage, the couple will marry at Luna Island while the Falls behind them will be lit with the colors of the rainbow flag.I know Kitty was a powerhouse volunteer with the grassroots group Marriage Equality New York. If anyone deserved this honor it's her! Her Senator, Republican Mark Grisanti may very well have flipped to "Yes" just to make her leave him alone. Mavel Tov!
More on Niagara Falls, NY's plans from Nigara Falls USA blog:
Niagara Falls, N.Y.- With the recent passage of the marriage equality act in New York State, the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp., will host one of the first official group wedding ceremonies, July 25 in Niagara Falls State Park.
In an effort to partner tourism related opportunities with the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in New York State, the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. (NTCC), unveiled plans Friday to hold a group wedding ceremony on July 25 in Niagara Falls, N.Y., as well as a new 'Rainbow Romance' package on the agency's Niagara-USA.com reservation system.
The event, which is aimed at highlighting the passage of the marriage equality act, is expected to be one of the first official LGBT group wedding ceremonies in New York State. This wedding ceremony, being held at Niagara Falls State Park, will reinvent Niagara USA as a premier marriage and honeymoon destination, as well as translate to a tremendous economic impact for the regions tourism industry.
Advocates for marriage equality promised passage would stimulate upwards of $400 million in economic benefits over a three-year period. Time magazine reported an estimated 21,309 resident gay and lesbian couples are predicted to take the plunge in a three-year period, and 45,000 out-of-state couples are predicted to visit New York to exchange vows. If those numbers are good, state and city coffers promise to swell by $3,978,540 in plus license fees alone.
And looks like the powers that be are determined to help make good on their promises.
New York City's business community partnership NYC & Co. has announced a global ad campaing, NYC I Do, aimed at luring LGBTs from around the country and the world into coming to the Big Apple to tie the Big Knot.
Kimberly Spell, a spokeswoman for NYC & Company is quoted in Time saying the NYC I Do campaign "will create millions of dollars in additional economic impact to the city's $31 billion tourism industry."
A same-sex marriage page has already gone live on the partnership's site, with a FAQ walking wannabe newlyweds through the process. Of course, there are also lots of helpful suggestions for venues and vendors, like my personal local favorite, Brooklyn's famous River Cafe, pictured above. I took mom there for Mother's Day once. May I soon have the opportunity (and means) to return to celebrate another special occasion.
I'll be at the City Hall on Sunday (just to observe, alas). I'll also be joining Marriage Equality New York for their SeaTea (booze cruise) celebration that night. New Yorkers interested in whooping it up on the Hudson River and New York harbor can still get $25 tickets at MENY's site. Dinner, dancing (tunes courtesy of DJ Chris Padilla) and drag entertainment performances from Miss Peppermint are included.
MENY's Seatea promises to be a very hot party. And it's just a three-hour tour, what could go wrong with that?
What NOM really thinks about the black community
crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
One thing I found interesting about the controversy regarding Michele Bachmann and that ridiculous Family Leader pledge (the one which said African-American families fared better under slavery rather than now) is not who weighed in with their opinion, but whose words were conspicuously absent.The National Organization for Marriage gave no criticism about the pledge. On the contrary, the organization actually praised not only the Family Leader, but also Bachmann for signing the pledge.
In one blog entry, NOM actually brags about being partners with the Family Leader in one of its endeavors (Presidential Lecture Series).
In another one, NOM praises Bachmann for being the first person to sign the now infamous pledge.
In this linked blog entry, NOM claims that Bachmann's signature of the pledge has put her in a first place lead in the Iowa primary.
Lastly, in this entry, NOM mentions that the other Republican candidates - Romney, et. al. - has refused to sign the pledge.
Now what's missing here?
Any criticisms or mention at all about the controversy regarding how the pledge seemingly embraced slavery. And that's a pretty conspicuous omission seeing how NOM brags about how it has teamed up with the black church on more than one occasion to stop marriage equality.
NOM seems to be a master at exploiting the race card when it can be used against the gay community. In both Maryland and New York, the group allied itself with members of the black community under the pretense that it is trying to preserve the integrity of the African-American struggle for equality from "homosexual interlopers" out to "exploit that legacy for their own hedonistic purposes."
How ironic is it that the organization sneaks out of the room when it is shown that one of its own is exploiting that legacy.
Of course it's not an irony for those of us who haven't bought NOM's lies about being the black community's best friend.
But it's still something to bring up and repeat. NOM doesn't care about the black community. It never has and it never will.
Now what it can get from the black community is another matter.
Related posts:
Reminder - Marriage equality also affects the black community
From one black man to the black community - stop the homophobic madness!
Bob Vander Plaats busts a gut at 'faggot' joke: 'that's pretty good'
[I]n new video footage obtained by ThinkProgress, Vander Plaats goes even further in cementing his strong dislike for gay people. During an event in Audubon, Iowa in March of 2011 Vander Plaats explained that many Iowans were concerned about the state becoming "the butt of jokes" in the aftermath of a state Supreme Court decision which found that a law prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. He was then interrupted by an attendee who recalled a joke his wife tells about the "fags" marrying in Iowa law and erupted in laughter:ATTENDEE: You know what my wife says? She says: Iowa, the state where you can't smoke a fag but you can marry one.
[Laughter]
VANDER PLAATS: Oh shoot, that's pretty good, that's pretty good. Oh shoot.
July 18, 2011
DOJ Still Fighting To Keep DADT?Discharges
The Department of Justice was dealt a partial victory on Friday. The Ninth reinstated DADT partially and temporarily. The military could continue to enforce it in regards to new recruits, admissions to military academies, and ROTC program (which are ironically, returning to the campuses, even as they continue to enforce DADT, and trans recruits will continue to be denied). Their order did prohibit "investigating, penalizing, or discharging" servicemembers under DADT.
Today, the Department of Justice said "not good enough." They filed another appeal for full reinstatement.
What the DOD did not get in Friday's reinstatment was the right to continue investigating, separation procedures and discharges.
Let's be clear about one thing.
Whether the DOD has the power to enforce the law or is forbidden to enforce the law has absolutely no bearing on whether this case ultimately is heard before the Supreme Court of the United States. The law will be on the books, whether the DOD can enforce it or not.
This is an inscrutable action, frankly bizarre when viewed in the light that they claim they are not investigating or discharging anyone.
It's sad. Yesterday, hundreds of gay and lesbian active duty soldiers took part in San Diego Gay Pride march. Reinstating the DOD's ability to investigate and discharge them will place them in needless jeopardy.
The DOJ's concluding paragraph:
For the foregoing reasons, as well as for the reasons advanced both in the government's reconsideration motion and in the letter brief attached to that reconsideration motion, the Court should reconsider its decision to lift the stay pending appeal, reinstate that stay, remove the case from the oral argument calendar, and permit the orderly process for repealing ? 654 to resume.
But, the stay was reinstated! They just told you had to stop "investigating, penalizing, or discharging" servicemembers. Why isn't that good enough?
Tea Party Nation: Gays Should Be Called "Barbarians"
Presidential Candidate Michele Bachmann is still silent on the topic of whether the clinic she owns with her husband is practicing discredited and harmful gay reparative therapy. The clinic has billed as much as $137,000 in taxpayer funds.
Marcus Bachmann has denied he called gay people "barbarians" and claimed that the recordings were doctored. An MSNBC Hardball segment look at that defense and found it laughable.
The Tea Party Nation doesn't think that should matter anyway. It's perfectly OK to call gays "barbarians" says the group's president Judson Phillips. The Tea Party Nation is rushing to the Bachmann's defense, urging their followers to "stand with the Bachmanns" against a "liberal freak show [that] is coming after Michele Bachmann."
From Right Wing Watch:
The liberal freak show is coming after Michele Bachmann. That is not much of a surprise. Bachmann is running a very disciplined campaign, encouraging conservatives and running with a conservative agenda. But now the left is coming after her.
The left wants to use the gay rights issue against her. Bachmann's husband, Marcus is a therapist and according to the left, he has committed a horrible crime. He used therapy to help gays who did not want to be gay any more change.
...
Most Americans do not believe gay marriage is a good thing. Most Americans do not believe homosexuality (which is only 1-3% of the population) is a good thing, though most Americans are tolerant of most things.
The left is not tolerant. The left never allows dissent. To the horror of Americans, Marcus Bachmann once referred to gays as "barbarians."
Barbarians?
If you are a conservative you have been called much worse and usually in much more obscene terms, for being a conservative.
...
Liberalism cannot stand a real debate. Liberals always lose those debates. That is why they always resort to fear, intimidation, violence and mob rule to achieve their goals. We cannot let mob rule win.
For this, we must stand with the Bachmanns.
Mr. Phillips? I admire your adherence to your principles. I suggest you reach out to Congresswoman Bachmann, and urge her to tackle the topic head on, and assure your followers that fighting the gays will be an important focus of her presidency, just as it's been for her entire career to date.
She doesn't seem to want to talk about it. This reporter asked her twice if she'd like to give her side of the story on these liberal attacks, and she wouldn't address it at all.
Congresswoman Bachmann needs to lead here. She must lead the charge against the intolerant left that would silence those who call gay Americans "barbarians."
Go forward proudly! May I suggest: "Bachmann 2012: Lock The Gates On Barbarians!"
Marcus Bachmann lies again - 'Barbarian' tape not doctored
crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
In response to the controversy regarding his clinic's use of "ex-gay" therapy, presidential candidate Michele Bachmann's husband, Marcus, gave an interview with the Star-Tribune in which he tried to shoot down the allegations.
However, if Bachmann was using the interview in order to quell the controversy, he was very unsuccessful. The interview raises more questions, specifically about a claim he made regarding gays.
The claim, that gays are like barbarians, has gotten the most play in the media. In the Star-Tribune interview, Bachmann claimed that the tape of him making the claim was doctored:
. . . an audiotape circulating on the Internet depicts Bachmann as calling gays barbarians in a 2010 interview he gave to the "Point of View" Christian radio talk show.
"We have to understand: Barbarians need to be educated,'' Bachmann's voice is heard saying on the tape. "They need to be disciplined. Just because someone feels it or thinks it doesn't mean that we are supposed to go down that road.''
Bachmann said that someone must have doctored the recording of the interview, in which he addressed child discipline as well as homosexuality and sex education.
. . . "I was talking in reference to children. Nothing, nothing to do with homosexuality. That's not my mindset. That's not my belief system. That's not the way I would talk," Bachmann said.
In response to Bachmann's claim, the news program Hardball played the entire clip. And what does it show?
The simple fact that Bachmann was being deceptive. He was talking about children who come out to their parents.
Therefore, he was in fact talking about gays:
For those keeping score, that's two lies which can be attributed to Bachmann. The first lie was when he initially denied that his clinic engages in "ex-gay therapy."
Related post
Michele Bachmann bashes Whoopi Goldberg to raise money
July 17, 2011
"Unnatural Acts."
Nick Westrate (center) plays the corrupting Congressman's son, Ethan Roberts.
I had an occasion to take in an extraordinary piece of theater last night. The play was the Classic Stage Company's Unnatural Acts in the East Village of New York City. If you have an occasion to get there before it closes on July 24th, I highly recommend you make the effort to find the time.
The play revolves around a bit of real life history recently unearthed from Harvard University, concerning its "Secret Court of 1920." The Harvard student paper The Crimson dug up the story from trial transcripts it found in 2002, and there was initially something of a row with the school about making the files public. They were eventually published. The Crimson performed remarkable feat of investigative journalism to bring the story to light, Harvard redacted names, and they connected the dots with other public records.
What happened was, it seems in the 1920s, Harvard's administration had itself a little gay witch hunt. And find gay witches they did, they expelled 10 students for "homosexualism."
The social lynchpin of this elite clique of gay men is Ernest Roberts, a Congressman's son. He hosted decadent soirees in his room where in defiance of the 18th amendment, the boys drink bathtub gin, danced, made out, dressed in drag and generally embraced the opportunity to let loose from the stifling heterosupremacy of the time.
Trouble comes when incriminating letters are unearthed, and come to the attention of Harvard administration and the lid is blown off their clandestine parties.
No witch hunt is ever complete until every member of the coven is made to turn on the others and provides a full list of subversives. And this one is no different.
The play initially does an excellent job setting up the affectionate and even innocent nature of the boys' camaraderie. Then narrative takes a very dark turn.
The story deftly examines the heartbreaking process of betrayal; how each person—so desperate to salvage something of their lives—invents a scenario to exonerate themselves. Whether culled from nuggets of truth or wholesale lies, each man shares the same goal: escape expulsion, disgrace and ultimate ruin. Their tales to interrogators are intended to evoke a measure of mercy, sympathy or reprieve from the unbridled, omnipotent investigation and retribution. (Some were made to leave not just the University, but Cambridge itself.) The only possible escape is to turn the focus on someone else, some more deviant, someone who presents a much greater danger.
But despite the telling of an era where despair and ostracization were the only options for notorious openly gay person, the play isn't a bummer. It is very often laugh out loud funny. (We homosexuals can be quite entertaining, after all!)
And the point is never lost to the audience that despite the trappings of forbidden alcohol and off-hours carousing, it was always the crime of seeking love and giving it in return that these men were made to suffer.
Go. I went spontaneously at the urging of a friend, and am so glad I did. The cast was wonderful, the directing flawless and the story gripping, touching and educational (always a nice plus in theater). It's been held over a week, but closes July 24th. It's one of those rare gems of extraordinary theater that make me glad I live in New York where I can have easy access to such endeavors. Hopefully, the piece will find new life after it closes. It deserves it.The Crimson's original expose is here. It's quite an amazing read.
July 16, 2011
Hooray for the Pig...
Hooray for The Pig. We don't have any more Piggly Wiggly stores in my part of NC, so it's a treat to go to one when we find them. The Pig stores used to be pretty low-end; many closed as the big chain groceries took over, but this one had great produce and was well-stocked with a wide variety of items (I managed to find some capsaicin for my arthritis, something that a lot of stores don't carry in full strength).
Anyway, a few photos....
5
Hundreds Of Active Duty Troops Join San?Diego?Gay Pride
From Karen Occamb at LGBT POV come this report from about 350 active duty servicemembers who joined a movement to appear in San Diego Pride's event held today.
From LGBT POV:
The idea for servicemembers to participate in the parade came from Sean Sala, 26, who served six years as a Navy operations specialist; he was discharged one June 30, 2011, according to a story in the San Diego Union Tribune.“I’m getting emails from veterans and active-duty officers and enlisted from all over the nation. There are people flying in literally from the four corners of the nation to participate in this,” Sala told the Tribune. “It’s turned from a very small idea to, now, a national movement.”
In a conference call coordinated by San Diego gay reporter Rex Wockner, Sala told Metro Weekly’s Chris Geidner and me that around 100 people started gathering before their meeting time at 10:00am and the contingent has continually swelled up until step-off time. Earlier he told the newspaper that of the 350 people signed up to participate, about 70 percent are active-duty servicemembers and the majority are gay.
Wockner reported that many in the contingent are wearing tee shirts military colors emblazed with the names of their branch of service – Navy grey and Marine green.
Wockner conveys his impressions from the ground to Occamb:
And, he said, “The response was deafening, inspiring – there was a collective sense that something was happening that hadn’t happened before.”A great day for visibility for LGB troops and Americans.Wockner said that he stood his ground to try to count the number of participants in the contingent. He said they were broken into four groups: slightly more than 140 Navy in the first group, followed by slightly more Marines, with fewer than 10 Air Force and a handful of Army and Coast Guard brought up the rear.
The Associated Press' Julie Watson has coverage of this as well. This reporting has been picked up and widely distributed throughout mainstream press.
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network spokesman Zeke Stokes cautions:
“We communicated to [Sean Sala] that anyone who participates is assuming a certain level of risk… We are looking forward to a time when LGBT service members can participate in these kinds of actions without any risk.”Indeed, we've seen some strange and legally inconsistent applications of the DADT law since "repeal."
Fortunately for these troops the Justice Department's attempt to reinstate DADT on Thursday did not go as well as they planned. The Ninth allowed them to continue denying new applicants to service, ROTC or military academies but forbid the Department of Defense to investigate, initiate separation or discharge currently serving LGB troops.
Sala isn't down with proceed cautiously and go slow. On fears of retributions he is quoted in the Navy SEALs Blog saying:
...that it may be time for the gay and lesbian community to “stop hiding in fear.”For today, these troops are safe from retaliation. It remains to be seen if the DOJ will appeal the Ninth's decision en banc or take their case for full reinstatement to the Supreme Court.One of those who intend to participate in the March is 21-year old Cpl. Jaime Rincon, a Camp PendletonMarine, who shared: “Finally someone is stepping up to the plate, someone has said: ‘We’re done hiding. Let’s do something about this. Let’s show everybody we’re proud of who we are and we’re proud of our branches of service.”
Towleroad shares this this video:
Also this clip from ABC New's report:
National Guard member Nichole Herrera, 31, said she didn't think twice about marching, even though the policy is back on the books. She said she was "choked up" several times as she walked down a main thoroughfare in San Diego, a major Navy port. "This is one of the proudest days in my life. It's time for it (the policy) to be gone," Herrera said. "I'm a soldier no matter what, regardless of my sexual orientation."Let's see some fierce urgency of now action on signing certification!
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