Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy Topics

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Bradley Manning Faces Life Sentence, While Criminals WikiLeaks Exposed Have Suffered No Consequences - Glenn Greenwald

We speak with constitutional lawyer and Salon.com blogger Glenn Greenwald about the military pretrial hearing now underway for alleged U.S. Army whistleblower Bradley Manning, who has been accused of releasing classified U.S. documents to WikiLeaks. Greenwald comments on the possible strategy being put forth by Manning’s defense. "All the Manning [tribunal] hearings have been shrouded in secrecy," Greenwald says, noting there may...
Dec 19, 2011 | Story
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Ban on Gay and Lesbians in the U.S. Military is Lifted

"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" is no more. The military’s longstanding ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers officially expired at 12:01 a.m. EDT earlier today. Congress passed a repeal of the ban last year, but President Obama had deferred its implementation until military leaders gave their approval. The Pentagon now says it will no longer enforce the ban, meaning gays and lesbians can openly serve. We play excerpts...
Sep 20, 2011 | Story
Obama Withdraws Support for Anti-LGBT Defense of Marriage Act

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced it will no longer defend the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages. Glenn Greenwald, a constitutional law attorney and legal blogger for Salon.com, who is openly gay, talks about the significance of this decision and how DOMA affected his own choice to live in Brazil with his partner, a Brazilian national. "This is one of those rare instances where I...
Feb 24, 2011 | Story
In Historic Move, Senate Votes to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

The Senate voted 63 to 31 on Thursday to repeal the military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy. Eight Republicans joined with Democrats to approve the repeal and send the measure to President Obama for his signature. The bill passed in the House last week. We speak with former Navy commander Zoe Dunning. Until her retirement three years ago, she was thought to be the only openly gay person serving in the U.S. military....
Dec 20, 2010 | Story
With New Limits, US Military Reinstates "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

The military’s seventeen-year-old ban on openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people from joining the US military is back on the books. But based on a new directive, only five senior military officials will be able to discharge service members for violating the policy. The change makes it harder for the military to remove openly gay troops. We speak to one of the most vocal critics of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Lt. Dan Choi, who...
Oct 22, 2010 | Story
Does Opposing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Bolster US Militarism? A Debate with Lt. Dan Choi and Queer Activist Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

We host a debate on whether the queer rights movement should be focused on repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law between Lt. Dan Choi and queer antiwar activist and writer Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore. Celebrating the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Sycamore says, only makes progressive movements in the US complicit with American wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. [includes rush transcript]
Oct 22, 2010 | Story
While Celebrating Halt to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Gay Rights Movement Confronts Teen Suicides, Homophobic Electioneering and Violent Attacks

The Nation's Richard Kim joins us to discuss some of the major issues facing the gay rights movement in America today, including Tuesday's decision by a federal judge to end the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy; the surge in gay teenagers committing suicide; the homophobic remarks of politicians ahead of the midterm elections; and the recent brutal beatings and torture of three New York men because of their sexual...
Oct 13, 2010 | Story
In Landmark Ruling, Judge Rules "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy Is Unconstitutional

A federal judge has ruled the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy toward gay and lesbian members of the military is unconstitutional. Judge Virginia Phillips said she will issue an injunction that will halt the enforcement of the policy that allows gay men and lesbian to serve in the armed forces as long as they do not disclose their orientation and do not engage in homosexual acts. [includes rush transcript]
Sep 10, 2010 | Story
"Why Did Obama Fire Dan Choi?." By Amy Goodman

Dan Choi was an Iraq War veteran, a graduate of West Point and a trained Arabic linguist. I ran into Choi the day after he received his official discharge for violating the military’s so-called "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy.
Aug 04, 2010 | Columns & Articles
"I Have No Regret to Anybody in the Military. This Is Clearly a Failure of Our Government" - Iraq War Vet Dan Choi Discharged Under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

“As we mark the end of America’s combat mission in Iraq,” President Barack Obama said this week, “a grateful America must pay tribute to all who served there.” He should have added “unless you’re gay,” because, despite his rhetoric, weeks earlier the commander-in-chief fired one of those Iraq vets: Lt. Dan Choi. Choi is a West Point graduate, an Arabic linguist and an Iraq war veteran. He was fired under the military’s "Don’t...
Aug 04, 2010 | Story