Another Victim of DADT

As Gay Discharges Continue, Gay Sailor Murdered

While the Democratic Congress, and the "fierce advocate" for gay rights President Obama, fiddle around waiting for the "right time" to repeal the anti-gay "Don't, Ask Don't Tell" military policy, another victim dies. A gay sailor, Navy Seaman August Provost, has been murdered.

Seaman Provost of Houston, Texas, reportedly complained to his family that was he being harassed; his sister told a local newspaper that they’d advised him to tell his supervisor. If Provost revealed his sexuality, however, he could have been discharged from the armed services.

The news comes on the heels of the military’s recommended discharge of gay Arabic translator Daniel Choi, and discontent within the gay community about the Obama Administration’s actions on gay rights. President Obama says he will not stop the military discharges, which have resulted in the expulsion of more than 250 servicemembers since he was inaugurated in January.

A spokesman for a group that provides legal counseling to gays in and out of the military said the federal law that mandates discharging gay servicemembers certainly didn’t help.

“While ‘Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ is in place, anybody in the military who is a homosexual has no place to go to get assistance or counseling,” Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s Ben Gomez told the San Diego Union Tribune.

Will Obama and the Democrats fulfill their promise to repeal DADT, or continue to play political football with the lives of gay soldiers and the security of the United States?

While Obama can and should be doing more to get DADT repealed, it is up to Congress to repeal the law. People, especially many angry gay activists, seem to believe that the President can repeal a law passed by Congress, he cannot. In 1993, Congress took away President Bill Clinton's ability to issue an executive order to end the anti-gay policy. Obama cannot just issue an executive order to repeal DADT, CONGRESS has to pass a law to repeal it. Civics 101 folks!

Obama may be able to change some things about how the policy is implemented, maybe even hold further discharges pending some investigation or based on national securuity, but he cannot repeal the law that CONGRESS made!

See:
Defense Chief Giving "Don't Ask, Don't Tell " a Closer Look