If you haven ‘t heard, the Senate voted 65-31 on Saturday to end the discriminatory policy known as “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” After President Obama signs the bill into law this week, the Pentagon will evaluate and then certify that the military is ready for this change, which is not expected for a couple of months. Then, gays and lesbians will be free to be open about their sexual orientation without fear of official recrimination from the military.
Here is the response from Lutherans Concerned North America (LCNA):
The United States Senate voted on Saturday, 65-31, to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” legislation that has discriminated against our lesbian and gay service members for over a decade. The historic vote follows the US House passage of the same bill earlier in the week. President Obama plans to sign the legislation before Christmas. Lutherans Concerned/ North America, serving at the intersection of oppressions, is proud to be a part of the movement to repeal this legislation and celebrates the vote with all of our members, especially those who have served or are serving in the military.
Those serving in the US Armed Forces face unparalleled challenges everyday as they fight to protect our freedoms here and abroad. Now, with this repeal nearly finalized, they will be able to concentrate on their vocation of service rather than worrying about the disclosure of their perceived or actual sexual orientation. LC/NA shares relationships with various other faith based and secular LGBT organizations to bring freedom and equality to all of God’s children, both in the church and in society. The work that LC/NA has done has been a combined effort with the entire LGBT community contributing to the change in understanding of how LGBT people have always served their country with skill, honor, and integrity.
Deputy Director, Ross Murray, commented on the repeal, saying, “It is truly awe inspiring to see people living out their calling from God. Just as Lutherans Concerned works for the full participation of those called to serve the church, we celebrate those who are can live out their call to serve their country without barriers. This is one more step toward full participation in society.”
Our vocation is a calling from God that is realized through a variety of paths, including military service. With the recent historic decisions made at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2009, and now with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” avenues once blocked by discrimination are being cleared for all people to live out their calling. As Lutherans we are called to be a public voice, crying in the wilderness, and LC/NA is proud to be living out that calling daily. It is truly evident that the Holy Spirit is moving through our society and our church with a renewed fervor for change and we thank God for this advocate sent on our behalf.
I wrote my senators and representative today to thank them for their support of this repeal. I assume that people don’t often write to thank their legislators in Washington. Credit should be given where credit is due, especially when you feel very strongly about something and your representatives act as you would like them to.
In the spirit of Civil Rights, I think this is a good policy. However, I wonder how it is going to work in basic training with 52 troops in a barracks, shower, and out in training. I fear that there will be a lot of discrimination in reality and the out gays and lesbians will have the same or worse problems than the high school students have. You can’t expect the drill sergeants to give them special treatment.
@Lilly
Although I don’t generally think it’s good practice to make too many connections between the treatment of blacks and gays, I think there is a good parallel here in the integration of the military. When Truman desegregated the armed forces, I’m sure there were racists galore in America’s most conservative bastion of manliness. Over time, that has dissipated – although I’m sure there are still racists there. The same will probably be the case for gays in the military now. At first, there will be homophobic soldiers, but over time that will decrease as well, as it gets to become more and more everyday. There will of course always be those people in the armed forces who aren’t comfortable with gays, and there will always be those who are uncomfortable with blacks, with women, with Hispanics, etc. I also look at other countries that have openly gay men and women serving in active duty, and that seems to be working just fine. Why should American soldiers be any less able to deal with gays and lesbians in the ranks than other countries especially as we’re the country with the reputation for being (at least, nominally) on the avant-garde for liberty, justice, and equality? If we’re the greatest country on earth, this change in policy shouldn’t even cause us to bat an eye…we can overcome it and use it to our advantage, surely.
@Daniel
I hope you are right. With my grandson’s return from basic training, it appears that the South for sure still has many racist problems in attitudes . Again, I say, many talk the talk but when it comes to walking the walk , it is a different story. I agree with the change in principle but I just left a church that was bashing the very idea of gays in the clergy– “They might molest the children.” This is middle America semi-rural and about as biased as white straight people can get. Mind you, this town is not near a major city so that might be the difference.
Yes, a agree that gays and lesbians should not get kicked out of the military, but what I am saying is that I predict a lot of covert discrimination.