or DADT Is Repealed, Hooray for LGB...Oh...
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, as truly thrilling as the repeal of DADT is ~ and it is ~ there are nuances that many people aren't catching. First, for all the Vermont marriages taking place between servicepeople and their civilian partners, the military still doesn't recognize them as anything other than "very good friends" or "long time companion" because the Defense Of Marriage Act is still in effect. So, yes, the lesbian or gay service member can finally, finally, serve openly and TTG for it. But they and their spouses cannot yet live on post, in family housing; the civilian spouse still doesn't count as a military dependent; still won't be brought to a wounded soldier's side in the worse case scenario. And, yes, I personally believe this is different from not being allowed in a hospital emergency room. That's bad enough. But to not be able to be at the side of your soldier? The man or woman who is risking their life for a country that just today deigned to think they were worthy of doing so? It's a different horror and it needs to be respected as such.
Also, if you pay really close attention, the politicians are speaking about gays and lesbians serving openly. This is not a short cut because LGBT is too long or too weighted or too whatever. This is intentional. This is because gays, lesbians, and bisexuals can now serve openly in the military but a transgendered soldier will still be ousted, should they be outted. And I have nothing more coherent to say about that.
Celebrate. Jump up and down. Sing. Pray. Get drunk and have hot monkey sex. Whatever it is that you do to celebrate when something really monumental happens, do it. Today is worth it. But know that the Transgender American Veterans' Association (TAVA) has requested all who are celebrating also take a moment of silence to acknowledge not everyone got their rights today. Know that DOMA limits just how sweeping this is. Know that tomorrow, there is work to still be done.
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
4 comments:
I just keep thinking - yet one more domino to fall. Despite what some may think, Brown v. Bd of Ed was neither the start nor the end of desegregation either. When something is this engrained you have to slowly chip away until you take the whole thing down.
>clink, clink, clink<
Cam Pike ~ Exactly! Thus my insistence that we celebrate today and not ignore this step, which is indeed HUGE.
Excellent points. So many people do not realize what DOMA does to us. My husband and I are missing 1138 federal rights that straight married couples receive. I am still celebrating DADT repeal, however. Maybe I'll try some of that hot monkey sex.... :)
Bill ~ I highly recommend the hot monkey sex as a celebratory event. >:)
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