The #1 Tumblr blog for people focused on queer pride and the fight for equal rights.
Our goal is to compile inspiring posts from throughout Tumblr in one place for your convenience. PinkPanthers provides information on legislation, progress, and discrimination throughout the United States and the world. Our philosophy is that we will achieve love and equality through our strength in numbers.
With over 20,000 followers and visitors from 50+ countries, we continue to grow our community. We also urge and encourage you to submit your own pictures, stories, and news pieces!
DADT ENDS: Air Force Lt. Col. Sean Hackbarth (right) says he can finally talk freely about his significant other. They’ve been together for nine years - and his name is Mike. ♥
We are ecstatic to learn that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a 17 year old policy that prohibited gays and lesbians to serve openly in the US military has been voted to be repealed by Congress today. This achievement is important, not only to those in the military, but to all of us. We truly believe that as our government starts to acknowledge that we are equals and should be treated as such, most of society will as well. Be proud of who you are, what you can do, and the side of history that you are on. We urge you all to do some research, find out if your Representative or Senator helped in the repeal, and call and leave them a message of thanks. It is through a joint effort of our politicians, our advocates, and our hope that we have made an impact.
This is what it feels like when love wins. It does get better, and we’re glad you were here to see this day with us.
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repealed by Senate 65-31
In a landmark for gay rights, the Senate today voted to let gays serve openly in the military, giving President Barack Obama the chance to fulfill a campaign promise and repeal the 17-year policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/senate_close_to_ending_military_CWChd0bPrF46k5emweC5YK#ixzz18UvyempO
The Senate took a big step toward ending the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers today. By a vote of 63 to 33, the Senate voted to end debate on a bill repealing the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, opening the door for a final Senate vote on the standalone repeal bill passed by the House Tuesday. That means a simple majority of 51 Senators can now bring the legislative fight on repealing DADT to an end. That vote is expected to come — and expected to succeed — by the end of the weekend.
(UPDATE: The final vote is now scheduled for 3 p.m. today).
December 16th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Earlier this evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scheduled a vote on the DADT repeal bill for Saturday. This is what we had been waiting for. HRC President Joe Solmonese issued the following statement.
“We are gratified that the Majority Leader has scheduled the cloture vote on the DADT repeal bill for Saturday. It’s time that senators vote their consciences and move our military and our country forward. This has always been an issue of integrity for our military and the brave gay and lesbian service members who serve our country every day. America is ready for a vote and there’s no need for anymore waiting.”
Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted 250-175 on legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This historic action is the second time the House passed repeal legislation this year, the first coming in May with the National Defense Authorization Act, to which repeal legislation was attached.
Rep. Patrick Murphy and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer introduced the free-standing DADT repeal bill yesterday with identical language to the repeal amendment that passed in the House in May
“Today the U.S. House of Representatives said, for the second time, what military leaders, the majority of our troops and 80 percent of the American public have been saying all along – the only thing that matters on the battlefield is the ability to do the job,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We are grateful to Majority Leader Hoyer and Rep. Murphy for championing repeal and for Speaker Pelosi’s continuing leadership. The Senate must now follow their lead.”
Now all eyes shift to the Senate, where Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the companion bill, S.4023, last week after the failed Senate vote to proceed to debate the National Defense Authorization Act, to which repeal legislation was attached. The Senate bill currently has 48 bipartisan cosponsors. The votes are there to repeal DADT, but the question is whether the Senate will make the time to pass this important piece of legislation before they go on vacation?
It is critical that you call your senators and tell them to support repeal this year. Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to connect you to your senator.
If repeal isn’t passed before the Senate adjourns for the holidays, it will likely be years before there is another chance for repeal.
December 14th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Today House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Rep. Patrick Murphy introduced a free-standing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) repeal bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the companion bill, S.4023, last week after the failed Senate vote to proceed to debate on the National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate bill currently has 40 bipartisan cosponsors.
Today’s announcement by Leader Hoyer and Rep. Murphy shows that momentum is on the side of DADT repeal.
- Today, a Federal Judge in California declared that the 1993 policy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is unconstitutional because it violates the 5th and 1st Amendments. If the U.S. Department of Justice chooses to appeal the decision, the case will be forwarded to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and an appeal from there would shoot the case directly to the United States Supreme Court where it is strongly believed that the California judge’s decision will be upheld.
- The repeal of DADT will not only grant service members their constitutional rights but also pave way for social integration and acceptance of the LGTBQ community throughout the nation. This kind of embracing of the gay community is sure to lead to other strides in equality.
- Click through the photo to read the Associated Press’ report
by Dana Rudolph May 04, 2010 08:40 AM (PT) Topics: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, LGBT Families Share 18 2183 Views I’ve been trying to figure out what bothers me most about Friday’s letter from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to the House Armed Service Committee. In the letter, Gates asked Congress not to pass a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) until after the Pentagon can complete a study of its impact. A quick DADT repeal, he said, “would send a very damaging message to our men and women in uniform that in essence their views, concerns, and perspectives do not matter on an issue with such a direct impact and consequence for [servicemembers] and their families.” Mike Jones here at Change.org pointed out that maintaining discrimination sends “a very damaging message,” too. He also discusses how Gates’ letter feels like a betrayal from the Obama administration. I agree. The part of the letter that’s been getting under my skin, though? Gates’ assertion that repeal would have “a direct impact and consequence for [servicemembers] and their families.” The way he phrased the sentence — “our men and women in uniform” — make it clear he is talking in general terms, and not about the gay and lesbian members of the military. What possible “impact” and “consequence” could he imagine? Gay soldiers making passes at straight ones in the showers? There are regulations against that, no matter what a soldier’s orientation or gender. Either we trust most of our servicemembers to obey the regulations, or we admit that the military has a discipline problem that goes way beyond LGBT issues. Maybe it means the children of gay and lesbian servicemembers will talk about their families at the on-base schools, and the (civilian) teachers will have to explain that “Yes, Heather does have two mommies.” Public schools have been dealing with those issues (with greater or lesser success) for years now. On-base schools, I imagine, will do no worse. Even the Chair of the Joint Chiefs, Adm. Mike Mullen, told Congress, “I have served with homosexuals since 1968.” My suspicion is that a large number of gay and lesbian servicemembers are already out (overtly or not) to their units, and a DADT repeal would not drastically change how their fellow servicemembers view them. As for deeply closeted servicemembers, chances are they will come out carefully, still not wanting to create disruptions. The servicemembers and their families who will be directly impacted by a repeal of DADT are, of course, the gay and lesbian ones, as I’ve written before. I know a lesbian family with one mom in the military. They must send their children to an off-base school, not the higher-quality on-base one with a peer group of military children, for fear that their kids might inadvertently out them. Their children cannot go to on-base holiday parties, and cannot meet their mother’s plane when her unit comes back from Iraq. Gates’ letter reminds me of those who claim that same-sex couples who marry somehow harm the marriages of opposite-sex couples. No opposite-sex couple I know has ever gotten a divorce because of a gay wedding. If Gates is worried about impact and consequence, he had better be thinking of the gay and lesbian servicemembers and their families. Otherwise, his concerns seem akin to asking about the impact and consequence for white people when buses and water fountains were desegregated. Should we have done another study on that and kept black people at the back of the bus for longer?
After the March (via sfPhotocraft)
this is so true!
