It's good to repost this after the big holiday.

Good morning Danielsan, we missed you!

I'm still keeping everything double crossed just in case.

Yeah, as historic as the repeal was, it's actually now that folks really need to start paying attention even more. It's when actual implementation of policy happens that you really see how dedicated politicians and an institution (in this case the military) are to it. There needs to be clear signs by the end of next year that this policy has changed things -- not just by ending discharges for being openly gay, but also making sure discriminatation and bigotry gets dealt with when it comes up, and the military has become less hostile to queer folks. Institutional and individual homophobia in the military isn't going to go away tomorrow, but the end of DADT should be used as a way to erode and diminish bigotry in the military whenever reasonably possible.

On that note, onward to ENDA!

I'm glad Obama is repecting the military's wishes and phasing it in over months rather than just pretending he has a magic wand and making them do it now and letting a clusterfuck ensue. If it's still dragging a year from now I'll bitch, but honestly rather than petulant sour gay grapes it's time to move on to DOMA which has WAY more constitutional holes in it.

Remember, the US military is a bigger corporation than most COUNTRIES much less companies. They need to create policies on the various hodge-podges of state laws (what if your partner is not military but you got a SSDP in WA? Or a marriage from Vermont?). What if a gay soldier meets a South African civilian and they marry THERE where it's legal? What if a gay soldier refuses to be stationed in a country where it is illegal to be gay? It took Microsoft nearly a year roll-out to hammer out the details of SS benefits and that's one company.

Obama got more of the military vote than any Democrat in a long while (since Carter I believe). He was absolutely right to do this process Congressionally, it gives it solidity and legitimacy more than a Judicial ruling would have (and just think of what the victimization card would be playing in 2014: Obama & liberal judges didn't respect the military!).

"Mission Accomplished!"

"Trust but verify."

@3 - Yes, I agree that we need to be vigilent now. After all, the implementation of DADT ended up being a lot worse than its original intent. But I remain optimistic.

He still was a coward for not using his legal authority as commander-in-chief to suspend DADT the day he took office, & thereby preventing the discharge of at least 428 service members who were discharged under the policy under his administration. Fuck praising him for doing it through Congress. We should praise the guy for doing the morally obvious thing, not the thing that gives him the most political cover.

& to all the peeps who whine "but then it just could've been overturned by the next President!" you’re fucking clueless knee-jerk apologist morons. He still could've worked to have the act repealed by Congress while it was suspended (though granted, there'd be considerable less pressure to do so), but explain to me how it's even remotely possible that after 4-8 years of gays serving openly w/o the military imploding, that the next president reinstates DADT? It would’ve been logistically impossible & never would've happened.

@8 go pee in your bedpan, cowsie.

It's snowing right now.

It's an annoyance, sure, but I can live with a few months to implement the new policy. There will be screaming from the religious right, but the repeal has broad public support, and it isn't going back now.

@10 My bad, I forgot I'm supposed to some how be able to respect a former constitutional law professor who let self-professed war criminals off with a warning because he thought it was too politically inconvenient to do otherwise. Go pray to your idol of mediocrity, scary, and excuse me if I apply actual standards to the most powerful man in the world w/o forgiving him for all sins simply because he runs as a Democrat.

now that gays can join the military, they should stop doing so. straights too.