Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Repealing of Don't Ask, Don't Tell/Uniting American Families Act

The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to overturn the ban on openly gay and lesbian soldiers serving in the U.S. military, passing legislation repealing the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
A great many quotes came out of the debates.  Some of my favorites are the following:

"It is not the gay soldier that puts our security at risk but this government." Rep. Loretta Sanchez

"You don't have to be straight to be in the military, you just have to shoot straight." -Barry Goldwater

"I applaud the House for passing, with bipartisan support, the Repeal Act of 2010". - President Obama

While I applaud those who are voting to repeal, I wonder what needs to be done to get the Uniting American Families Act to the floor.  It seems we are stagnant.  We have sufficient co-sponsors, I just cannot figure out why we cannot get this law to at least be mentioned in Congress.  I have been told that we are just at the beginning of our fight.  I have been waiting 12 years for this bill to pass.  I have been writing Congress for a few years.  I believe that the time has come for us to SPEAK OUT LOUD so that they have no other choice but to hear us all the way from Florida to Alaska, from the House to the Senate, from the Baptists to the Atheists...I will no longer be silent.  I cannot.  My life, along with 36,000 other peoples' lives hang in limbo while we wait for Congress to give their blessing on our relationship.  We need to take action.  We need to be heard.

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